care-free brook that springs from a great water- 

 shed will be steadied in a poetic pond that is made, 

 and that will be maintained by our patient, per- 

 severing friend the beaver. 



In the West beaver are peculiarly useful at 

 stream-sources, where their ponds store flood 

 waters that may later be used for stock water or 

 for irrigation purposes. There are a number of 

 localities in New Mexico, South Dakota, and 

 elsewhere in the West where beaver receive the 

 utmost protection and encouragement from 

 ranchers, whose herds are benefited by water con- 

 veniently stored in beaver ponds. A few power 

 companies in the country have commenced to 

 stock with beaver the watersheds which supply 

 them with water. They do this because they real- 

 ize that countless small ponds or reservoirs are 

 certain to be constructed by these little conser- 

 vationists. 



Running water dissolves and erodes away the 

 earthy materials with which it comes in contact. 

 The presence of a beaver pond and dam across 

 a stream's highway prevents the wearing and the 

 carrying away of material. They not only pre- 

 217 



