FORESTRY OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. Bi 
Statement of the number and areas of entrics under the timber-culture laws, §-e.—Continued, 
1881. 1882. 
States and Territories. me By 
No.0 a3 No. o a5) 
entries. Acres. entries. Acres. 
(TG T Ty oe, iis ae ee yet ay eee ae See. 6 760. 00 9 TBD 27. 
TAREE tr ee eee Ree ene eee ye te ee cared 201 24, 538. 28 306 39, 882. 99 
LTS AT RE a ee Ne ere ae ee 2 ne Or we ee es 195 26, 473. 31 | 329 47, 436. 05 
EL ee Pe eit Pe eee ee at ee Rees ee ee 5, 133 | 868, 400. 36 9, 368 1, 466, 532. 34 
BN SNR pees By aS eB es SS ae ee RS See SE a) 3, 644. 25 $2 6, 235. 62 
GER S se on es DY tear nee oe rege ont Ast EAL ee Pen 1,924 | 268,575.09 1,933), (273,053.55 
uD PEARS oa eR le Ti Pe ly SDV SIN 19 | 2, 293. 40 i 1 004. 02 
RETEST GHGS Gol Oe eh eet adit a ae eee berets 1, 168 167, 582. 16 1, 220 176, 743. 43 
6 EPEAT O S gs 2 cr Pe eae 1) | 16, 535. 20 266 3), 409. 94 
PRU PINSAN CS ete ee ey ge ee Ct a Bk 1, 682 240, 306. 94 2, 086 298, 520. 11 
RRUASEDSIRE ete sete ane em ore bee Ua Wa So Py eBags ae vf 1, 040. 00 10 1, 520. 00 
DS ed WES a COU) ae ee Ae eee Ae 16 2, 039. 26 24 a; Bole OS 
Oregon 212 31, 176. 40 590 88, 038. 77 
Miah 35 3, 921. 52 32 3, 831. 71 
ONES REOPENS OR ee ae ee a eee 540 77, 008. 62 603 87, 524. 76 
PUN MERLE tere err Orie Serena cee Soke ce ino d cin we wees ] A000 seesaw ae eset os A ee 
Vitae ele Be See ee ene eee ace 3) 784. 30 20 2, 284. 44 
TEDL IG teh, acon ar So es Reel I Oe a ee 224 28, 680. 26 272 | 33, 965. 61 
Sear ere eee ee ae See ee a cele ale 11, 554 | 1, 763, 799.35 lye altar 2, 566, 686. 09 
By this table it will be seen that, since the passage of the original act 
in 1873, 93,246 filings, covering 13,637,146 acres, have been made. Of 
that amount there have been entered since the passage of the amended 
law in 1878, 11,177,510 acres. ae 
Of this amount of 13,637,146 acres on which timber filings were ori- 
cvinally made, it is safe to say, from information received from various 
government land offices in the prairie States and Territories, that at 
least one-third has, for various causes, been cancelled or entered under 
other acts, leaving, say, 9,000,000 acres held for the present under the 
provisions of the timber-culture act. 
Before giving an opinion as to the practical operations of the law, 
attention is called to the statements of those who, from official position 
or other circumstances, may be supposed to have the best opportunities 
for practical observation of the workings of the act and the amend. 
ments it needs to make it more efficient, Hon. Charles A. Morris, regis- 
ter of the United States land office at Larned, Kans., writes: 
I have to state, in reply to your ietter, that there have been made at this office, 
since it opened for public business, February 15, 1875, 4,611 timber-culture entries, 
embracing about 700,000 acres, and of these entries there have been canceled by con- 
test and voluntary relinquishment about one-third, embracing about 233,000 acres. 
j B i -culture law is to encourage aud foster the growth of tim- 
The object of the timber-cult law is toe g 1 foster the growth of t 
res iries, anc act that it is not more generally successful is 
ber on the western prairies, and the fact that it t ge i ful 
owing to the traffic in ‘‘claims,” entered under its provisions by claimants who ap- 
propriate public lands under this law for speculative purposes, and when opportunity 
offers, sell to homestead and pre-emption settlers; thereby not only defeating the ob- 
ject of the law, but forcing the new comer to pay a bonus to secure a desirable location 
for a home which he otherwise might have obtained at a minimum cost, to-wit, the 
government fees. This evil can be remedied and the law made effective, and the 
growth of forest trees on the western prairies assured, by so amending the timber- 
culture act of June 14, 1878, as to provide that land once entered under its provisions 
. be ever afterwards appropriated thereunder, and not subject to entry under any other 
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