1098 



THE IREIGATION AGE. 



as well as the expert service which is required with these 

 machines. 



If the price named in the report is the total manu- 

 facturing cost of a binder, as the report asserts, why does 

 the Minnesota FVison factory, with prison labor and no 

 interest charge on its investment, sell its binders at from 

 $100 to $110? 



In actual pound weight a binder costs the farmer less 

 money than he pays for his cook stove. Prices have been 

 kept down by improved labor-saving machines. 



The report endeavors to bring to life that old peren- 

 nial falsehood, that harvesting machines are being sold 

 abroad cheaper than at home. The reverse has been 

 proved so often it is strange that people continue to talk 

 about it. 



No longer ago than 1909 the United States Govern- 

 ment, in the Daily Consular Trade Reports, published the 

 results of its own investigations. These showed that the 

 6-foot binder, for which the American farmer pays ap- 

 proximately $125.00, is sold in France for $173.70; in 

 Germany, $203.00; in Denmark, $167.50; in South Russia, 

 $168.95, and in Great Brittain, $135.16. 



The best proof of the fairness of International prices 

 is that the stockholders have realized only a very fair 

 rate of interest on the money invested. For eight years 

 the total dividends paid have averaged 5.92 per cent per 

 annum. Most any good business man can get more than 

 6 per cent out of his investment. 



No attempt is being made to intimate that the men who 

 make and sell farm machines are in business for their 

 health. Neither are the men who buy and use the ma- 

 chines, even though farming is regarded as a very health- 

 ful occupation. The manufacturers have made money, 

 So have the farmers. And improved machines have helped 

 them to make it. But to take "the aggregate of created 

 wealth," to quote from an editorial in the New York 

 Times, "it is almost incalculably on the side of the 

 farmers." 



The International increased its line of farm machines 

 for two reasons to keep its plants open the year around, 

 and to keep its employes constantly employed. 



Without the reaper we would be a stranger to modern 

 progress. Its perfection released two-thirds of our popula- 

 tion from the farm for other lines of endeavor, and, along 

 with the full line of farm machines which followed, and 

 scientific methods of cultivation, reduced the labor neces- 

 sary to raise a bushel of wheat from nearly five days to 

 t.en minutes. 



EXAMINATION FOR ASSISTANT FOREST 

 RANGERS. 



The National Civil Service Commission will hold an 

 examination for Assistant Forest Rangers on October 23 

 and 24, 1911. The United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture estimates that 400 eligibles will be needed during the 

 field season of 1912. Assistant Forest Rangers are paid 

 an entrance salary of $1,100 per annum. 



The examinations will be held at National Forest 

 headquarters in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, 

 Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, 

 Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, 

 South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. No 

 examinations will be held in Michigan. 



The law requires that when practicable, Forest 

 Rangers must be qualified citizens of the state or territory 

 in which the National Forest on which they are appointed 

 is situated. Since the list of local eligibles must be 

 exhausted before eligibles residing in other states can be 

 appointed, the chance of citizens of outside states who 

 go to the National Forest states and take the examination 

 to secure an appointment is small. 



The requirements and duties of Forest Rangers are 

 thus described in "The Use Book," which contains the 

 regulations and instructions for the use of the National 

 Forests: 



"A ranger of any grade must be thoroughly sound and 

 able-bodied, capable of enduring hardships and performing 

 severe labor under trying conditions. He must be ablp 

 to take care of himself and his horse in regions remote 

 from settlement and supplies. He must be able to build 

 trails and cabins, ride, pack, and deal tactfully with all 

 classes of people. He must know something of land sur- 



veying, estimating and scaling timber, logging, land laws, 

 mining and the livestock business. 



"On some forests the ranger must be a specialist iu 

 one or more of these lines of work. Thorough familiarity 

 with the region in which he seeks employment, including 

 its geography and its forest and industrial conditions, is 

 usually demanded; although, lack of this may be supplied 

 by experience in similar regions. 



"The examination of applicants is along the practical 

 lines indicated above, and actual demonstration, by per- 

 formance, is required. Invalids seeking light out-of-door 

 employment need not apply. Experience, not education, 

 is sought, although ability to make simple maps and 

 write intelligent reports upon ordinary forest business is 

 essential. 



"For duty in some parts of Arizona and New Mexico 

 the ranger must know enough Spanish to conduct forest 

 business with Mexicans. - 



"Where saddle horses or pack horses are necessary 

 in the performance of their duty, rangers are required to 

 own and maintain them. The Forest Service furnishes no 

 personal or horse equipment. 



"Rangers execute the work of the National Forests 

 under the direction of supervisors. Their duties include 

 patrol to prevent file and trespass, estimating, surveying 

 and marking timber, the supervision of cuttings and sim- 

 ilar work. They issue minor permits, build cabins and 

 trails, oversee grazing business, investigate claims, report 

 on applications, and report upon and arrest for violation 

 of Forest laws and regulations." 



The examination is under the control of the Civil 

 Service Commission, and not of the Forest Service. In- 

 formation in detail regarding it, including the names of 

 the places at which it will be held, will be sent to any- 

 one aplying to the United States Civil Service Com- 

 mission, Washington, D. C. 



IMPORTS OF COTTON INTO THE UNITED 

 STATES. 



It seems strange to see the greatest cotton producing 

 country of the world bringing raw cotton half way around 

 the globe and importing it for use in her own manufac- 

 turing industries. It is nevertheless a fact that the United 

 States, which produces practically two-thirds of the 

 world's cotton, brought from China during the last fiscal 

 year. (1911) more than 9,000,000 pounds of raw cotton, 

 at a cost in that country of more than $1,000,000, and from 

 India in 1910 about 5,500,000 pounds, at a valuation of more 

 than $500,000. Other distant sections of the world were 

 also drawn upon Peru, 4,750,000 pounds in 1911; Dutch 

 East Indias, in 1909, nearly 500,000 pounds; Haiti, in 1911, 

 nearly 500,000 pounds, while other contributors include 

 Venezuela, Ecuador, British West Indies, Santo Domingo. 

 Mexico, Panama, Nicaraugua and Costa Rica, while from 

 Egypt, the chief source of supply of long stapled, high 

 grade cotton, the imports in 1911 were larger than in any 

 earlier year, amounting to 88,000,000 pounds. In addition 

 to this there was imported from England about 7,500,000 

 pounds, presumably chiefly East Indian, Egyptian and 

 West African, since England, of course, produces no cot- 

 ton. Raw cotton importations in 1911 were larger than in 

 any earlier year, amounting to 113,768,313 pounds, valued 

 at $24,776,320. 



High prices of domestic cotton are the cause of the 

 large increase in importation of cotton, especially that from 

 China and India. The quantity of cotton imported from 

 China never reached a quarter of a million pounds prior 

 to 1908, and in 1909 was practically 1,500,000 pounds, in 

 1910, 4,500,000, and in 1911, 9,000,000 pounds. From India 

 the quantity imported seldom reached 500,000 pounds prior 

 to 1908, in which year the total was over 750,000 pounds; 

 ir 1910, 5,500,000, and in 1911, 2,500,000. The Chinese and 

 Indian cottons are as a rule of shorter staple than that 

 of the United States, and as a consequence, are rated at 

 a somewhat lower price in the world's market, a fact 

 which accounts for the large growth in the importation 

 of these cottons in the recent years in which American 

 cotton has commanded exceptionally high prices. On the 

 ether hand, Egyptian cotton, which is of longer staple, 

 h'gher quality, and therefore higher in price than that of 

 the United States, still forms a large proportion of the 

 imports, being 88,000,000 pounds in 1911. 



