[6] 



the simple act of whitewashing this sensitive tree delayed the swelling of 

 the buds twenty-two days later than the unwhitened. This accords with 

 my observations on the Cascade range, where it is rare to find a patch of 

 snow within the timber after the middle of July, and not then near the 

 trees or brush. Later than that snow is on open ground ; generally where 

 it has been laid by drifting. These snow banks on open land, and water 

 from springs in valleys below, are the sources of rivers after the middle of 

 July. 



Congress, in passing the sundry civil expense bill, June 4, 1897, provided 

 for the survey of the forest reserves, and empowered the president to revoke, 

 modify or suspend all such executive orders or proclamations, or any part 

 thereof, from time to time, as he shall deem best for the public interests; 

 and suspended the proclamation of February 22, 1897, as to reserves in Wy- 

 oming, Utah, Montana, Washington, Idaho and South Dakota, till March 1, 

 1898. This action has had the result of causing the departments of the in- 

 terior and of agriculture to send out special agents to collect information 

 on tbe interests involved. Mr. F. V. Coville, botanist of the department 

 of agriculture, visited this oflBce with a letter of introduction from Hon. 

 Binger Hermann, asking such aid as I could give him as a special agent of 

 the department of agriculture, sent to Oregon with a view of studying and 

 reporting upon the subject of sheep grazing within the forest reserves. I 

 gave him all the aid I could and a general letter of introduction to such 

 stockmen as he should meet on his proposed route northward from Klamath 

 Falls on the summit and eastern slope of the Cascade range. 



In a letter from Washington, acknowledging my letter was a service to 

 him, he expresses the belief that he had gathered facts which would solve 

 the grazing question. 



A. letter from Edwin F. Smith, statistical agent of the department of 

 agriculture, asking the immber of sheep and value of grazing on the Cas- 

 cade range and foot-hills, was received by Hon. H. B. Dosch, of the first 

 district, who turned it over to me for answer. Based on the number of 

 sheep assessed in Wasco, Sherman, Crook, Lake and Klamath counties in 

 1896, and estimating the number of lambs not assessed, I count the total 

 707,667 head, the wool yield of which I estimate at 4,953,669 pounds, worth 

 in the home market $495,366.90, all of which I credit to summer grazing, 

 leaving the mutton and lambs to the credit of winter care ; but I think the 

 benefit of the sheep being taken oflf the plains in summer is worth fully as 

 much to other stock interests — horses and cattle — and to the wintering of 

 sheep, so that the total value would be in round numbers $1,000,000 an- 

 nually. Only one third of these sheep as yet go within the bounds of the 

 reserves as laid, but the number is increasing as the flock-owners increase 

 and improve their provisions for the winter keep. There is little or no 

 lumber taken from the reservations. The provision for winter feed is the 



