134 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



which is not the case in our method. In transplant- 

 ing and shipping young trees, besides the expense and 

 labor met in the old method, the loss by dying is great, 

 and greater still unless done at a certain season. An 

 oak, for instance, can be shipped to any destination at 

 any time without danger of its dying. A young tree 

 in a can is safe from gophers, moles and even chickens. 



Our growers of trees for forest planting consider 

 35 per cent an excellent record if they can get that 

 per cent of trees to live after transplanting. The loss 

 is due to their being compelled to plant out before the 

 tree is old enough to withstand the change, for to 

 wait longer would necessitate the labor of wrapping a 

 lump of earth about the roots and very gentle handling 

 in transferring to planting place, then particular care 

 not to disturb the earth about the roots when taking 

 away the cloth. There is warning not to transplant 

 on a sunny day, and other methods not necessary in 

 the can method. 



It is our belief that the government should appro- 

 priate a sum of money to be expended by state for- 

 esters in sending out club organizers and letting the 

 people know how easy it is to grow trees, no matter 

 how situated. 



We have induced a number of people to plant an 

 acorn in a can and place it on a window sill of their 

 sleeping room for curiosity just to watch how wonder- 

 ful is nature. We have received letters from such 

 people regarding their plants, indicating that they have 

 become "tin-cannisters." The article by Mr. Green is 

 worthy of perusal. 



The story has been put in circulation at 

 Will Washington, and has been sent broadcast 



Pinchot to the papers throughout the country, to 



Q u i t ? the effect that Gifford Pinchot of the 



Forest Service will retire from that serv- 

 ice at the close of President Eoosevelt's term and go 

 into the West and "grow up with the country." The 

 report comes to us that Mr. Pinchot has a desire to 

 mix in politics with a hope of ultimately being sent 

 to the Senate from the particular state in which he 

 decides to take up his residence. 



THE IRRIGATION AGE can hardly credit this re- 

 port, which comes from Washington in the form of a 

 news telegram. It was our impression that Mr. Pinchot 

 aspired to a Cabinet position, that of Secretary of 

 Agriculture, and it is reasonable to suppose that in 

 case President Roosevelt dictates the policy of the next 

 administration he will have an opportunity to gratify 

 this desire. It does not, however, seem possible that 

 any administration could improve on the present Sec- 

 retary of Agriculture, who has filled the bill satisfac- 

 torily in every way. 



If Mr. Pinchot will permit us, we will suggest 



to him that he be very cautious in selecting the state 

 in which he contemplates locating. It may be that he 

 will not ask our advice in the matter, but we will be 

 glad to give it to him in case he expresses a desire to 

 have us do so. There are many states in the West in 

 which his chance for landing the United States Sena- 

 torship would be very slim, owing to the fact that there 

 is strong antagonism to his policies and it would be 

 necessary for him to change his doctrine in many 

 particulars in order to harmonize the conflicting in- 

 terests in a number of the Western states. For in- 

 stance, it is our opinion that it would not be a good 

 plan for him to attempt it in Colorado, Wyoming, 

 Montana, and he would be entirely impossible, of 

 course, in Utah, nor would he be in safe hands in 

 Idaho. What he might accomplish in Nevada is prob- 

 lematical, although Nevada has been responsible for 

 some peculiar political stunts in the past days. One 

 gentleman who now holds the position of United States 

 Senator from that state spends his time between Wash- 

 ington and San Francisco and occasionally mixes with 

 his constituents at some of the main towns along the 

 line of railway. 



Since Mr. Roosevelt became President, Mr. Pinchot 

 has been a powerful man in the administration. He 

 was holding an insignificant position as Chief of the 

 Forestry Division of the Agricultural Department. 

 Government Forestry was then in its infancy and the 

 work of Pinchot's division apparently counted for little. 

 Mr. Pinchot quickly interested the President in the 

 subject of National Forestry and while many western- 

 ers will tell you that he has frequently "stubbed his 

 toe," the fact remains that he has lifted the Forestry 

 Bureau from obscurity so that it is now directly in the 

 limelight, with Gifford Pinchot as the central figure. 



Grave criticisms reach us from time to time con- 

 cerning the action of his subordinates and the latest 

 howl concerns forest reserve water titles. We note 

 that the people of Idaho are arguing to the effect that 

 the methods of the Forestry Bureau in appropriating 

 the water of streams that rise in the forest reserves, 

 will ultimately work injury alike to the agricultural 

 and commercial interests of that state. Concerning 

 an effort on the part of one of Pinchot's men in Idaho 

 to compel the State Engineer to make entries setting 

 aside certain water privileges for the benefit of the 

 Forestry Bureau, Mr. James Stephenson State En- 

 gineer, maintains that it is necessary for the Forest 

 Service to obtain permits from the state of Idaho. 

 He has refused to accept the applications of Mr. Pin- 

 chot's representative on the basis that under the State 

 Constitution the water flowing into the state is pri- 

 marily the property of the State, and that the appro- 

 priation of such waters must be made in accordance 

 with the State laws. Mr. Stephenson states that in that 

 connection that both the Reclamation Service and the 



