184 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



mouths. Lands were sold for $60 an acre, including 

 water right and ownership of the canal. Colonists pur- 

 chased all the lands before the canal was finished. After 

 two years the same lands are selling for $150 to $300 

 per acre. 



It is understood that an active campaign will he 

 opened by the new canal builders for colonizing the 

 Yellowstone Valley. The country is one of the chosen 

 irrigated districts of Montana. It is crossed by the 

 Northern Pacific and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 

 railroads. There are several prosperous farmers en- 

 gaged in growing alfalfa, cereals and potatoes in the 

 county. The altitude is about 3,000 feet above sea level 

 and the valley is one of the Rocky Mountain eastern 

 slope fields in which irrigation has worked wonders in 

 growjng vegetation. 



JOEL SHOMAKEE. 



NATURE'S METHOD OF PRUNING. 



Gifford Pinchot Describes the Process by Which Trees Shed 

 Dead Branches, But Does Not Tell All. 



While the trees are pushing up most rapidly, the side 

 branches are most quickly overshaded, and the process 

 of natural pruning goes on with the greatest vigor. 

 Natural pruning is the reason why old trees in a 

 dense forest have only a small crown high in the air., 

 and why their tall trunks are clear of branches to such 

 a height from the ground. The trunks of trees grown 

 in the open, where even the lower limbs have abundance 

 of light, are branched either quite to the ground or to 

 within a short distance of it. But in the forest not 

 only are the lower side branches continually dying for 

 want of light, but the tree rids itself of them after 

 they are dead and so frees its trunk from them entirely. 

 When a branch dies the annual layer of new wood is 

 no longer deposited upon it. Consequently the dead 

 branch, where it is inserted in the tree, makes a little 

 hole in the first coat of living tissue formed over the 

 live wood after its death. The edges of this hole make 

 a sort of collar about the base of the dead branch, and 

 as a new layer is added each year they press it more 

 and more tightly. So strong does this compression of 

 the living wood become that at last what remains of 

 the dead tissue has so little strength that the branch is 

 broken off by a storm or ven falls of its own weight. 

 Then in a short time, if all goes well, the hole closes, 

 and after awhile little or no exterior trace of it re- 

 mains. Knots, such as those which are found in boards, 

 are the marks left in the trunk by branches which have 

 disappeared. GIFFORD PINCHOT. 



Mr. Pinchot, in the above beautiful description, 

 explains the process of pruning followed by nature. 

 Although he neglects to inform the public, whom he 

 wishes to instruct, how long a time must elapse before 

 this .operation can be completed, or what an expensive 

 operation this becomes through nature's methods. 



When owners of timber land leave entirely to na- 

 ture the work of pruning they must, of necessity, await 

 Dame Nature's pleasure as to when she will perform 

 the operation. Meantime interest and taxes accumu- 

 late and multiply, old age advances more rapidly than 

 the trees can increase in size and the investment be- 



comes of great duration, for trees can not make rapid 

 progress while in the crowded condition in which they 

 exist as Nature usually scatters her seed. 



The procedure is beautiful, but it does not increase 

 the bank account of the waiting investor. 



Besides, there are certain trees which do not shed 

 their branches after they have been killed by shade. 



In these the new wood growth each year incloses 

 the dead branch, and in time disease germs enter the 

 tree through this channel of a decaying member, being 

 conveyed by water and the atmosphere, when the tree 

 Ixscomes a hollow, worthless trunk. 



And, further, many species of trees form an up- 

 right stem without overcrowding. 



The old theory of crowding young forests will 

 never succeed under American impatience for results. 

 Arboriculture. 



ARTHUR E. MORGAN, 



HYDRAULIC ENGINEER, 



Drainage, Irrigation, Sewerage, Water Supply 

 Topographical Surveying, 



ST. CLOUD, 



MINN. 



T7OREST RESER VE "SCRIP" is the safest and quickest 

 - means for obtaining immediate title to government land. 

 Write for special prices for certain localities. 



HUGO SEABERG, RATON, N. M. 



Two Dollars will secure (or you one year's subscription to 

 THE IRRIGATION AQB and a finely bound volume of the Primer 

 of Irrigation which will be sent postpaid In a few months, 

 when volume Is completed. The Primer of Irrigation will be 

 finely illustrated and will contain about 300 pages. Send post 

 office or express money order for $1.00 and secure copy of first 

 edition. 



The Simplification of 

 Water Records by 

 a Right System 

 Insures 



Not Only 

 Labor-Saving 

 but also Money- 

 Saving. 



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