

Nov, 2, 1907.] 

_— 
out in broad daylight where seven or eight others 
saw him from the moving train. There were six 
coveys of quail seen by us in thirty miles of 
travel, some large in size of birds and number, 
and some small in both. The county of Valley 
is becoming alive with them. Every stream’s 
banks are full of quail all through the northwest 
portion of our State. Our season should open 
Noy. 1 and continue fifteen days or twenty, 
though our season of the present, Nov. 15 to 
30, is not bad. The eastern portion of Nebraska 
is becoming better stocked with quail than be- 
fore, but there are not here the unmolested 
breeding grounds afforded like those of further 
north and west. I inclose a photo of the Loup 
River valley in the northwest part of the State. 
Off in the valley in the distance can be seen the 
grand cover and breeding grounds needed to 
perpetuate the species. Timber, corn, alfalfa, 
wheat, oats, pasture land, open country and weed 
patches of hundreds of acres along the streams 
and draws make the valley of the Loup and the 
Niobrara perfect for quail breeding. Only too 
severe winters and the farmer’s gun can deplete 
them in the next few years. A. D. BuRHANS. 

The Appalachians. 
ASHEVILLE, N. C., Oct. 25.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: After several years of agitation in the 
press; after the bill has twice passed the Senate; 
after receiving favorable recommendation by the 
agricultural committee in the House on two oc- 
casions; after two special messages from Presi- 
dent McKinley and one special message to Con- 
gress from President Roosevelt, advocating the 
measure, and after the bill has been twice killed 
in Congress, simply from the fact that the rul- 
ing of the chairman of the committee of rules 
would not allow the measure to come to a vote 
in the House, the campaign for the establish- 
ment of a national forest reserve in the South- 
ern Appalachians and White Mountains of New 
Hampshire is again in full swing. 
The American Forestry Association is now 
making this movement its first and most im- 
portant work. Under the auspices of this asso- 
ciation its secretary, Dr. Thomas E. Will, of 
Washington, has, during the past month de- 
livered a series of stereopticon illustrated lec- 
tures in the important cities of the Southeastern 
States. Monday of this week he appeared here 
in Asheville and lectured to a large audience 
of our best citizens, reviewing the present status 
of the movement and urging those interested in 
becoming determined in the fight. Judge J. C. 
Pritchard. of the Federal Court, presided; Sen- 
ator Latimer, of South Carolina; Senator Lee 
S. Overman, of North Carolina, and Congress- 
man Lever were present and made brief 
speeches. 
The attendance here in Asheville, where the 
movement was started in 1889, showed that in- 
terest and enthusiasm has in no way abated. 
Dr. Will reports that his piecing have been 
well attended throughout the South, and that in 
every instance he has had large audiences and 
his lectures have been enthusiastically received. 
Those who have followed this movement from 
its inception in 1899 have already realized that 
the memorial which was presented to Congress 
at that time contained more truth than was 
supposed. At that time there was offered 
through the Appalachian Forest Reserve Asso- 
ciation to the National Government a million 
and a half acres of steep forest-covered mountain 
land at a price averaging two and a half dollars 
an acre. The Government could at that time 
have secured this land at that price with the 
timber standing thereon. To-day the same land 
could not be procured for an average of ten 
dollars per acre. 
Without reference to the economics involved 
in the proposed movement—water supply (of 
the Southwestern States, protection of water 
powers, protection of agricultural lands, the 
avoidance of drouth and flood, etc.—the Govy- 
ernment world to-day be to the good some 
twelve or fifteen million dollars on a money 
basis had the object of the memorial been ac- 
complished at that time. 
The best that can be hoped for now is for the 
Government to buy the cut over land. The 


FOREST AND STREAM. 

large holders are not pursuing the destructive 
measures in vogue a few years ago, but are 
looking forward to selling the cut over land to 
the Government later on. Every one familiar 
with the facts realizes that it is only a question 
of time when the Government as a matter of self 
protection will be forced to control the slopes 
of these mountains. 
While there has been no act of Congress en- 
abling the Forestry Department to make con- 
tracts with the large operators, those acting on 
a large scale have been made to realize that 
the Forestry Department would prefer to buy 
the land with nothing cut under a fifteen-inch 
stump. 
Since our last letter to you on this subject 
there has been established in the heart of the 
section under consideration one of the largest 
tanneries in the world; there is now being built 
at Canton, thirty miles west of Asheville, what 
is expected to be the largest paper pulp mill in 
the world. Haywood county has welcomed this 
pulp mill, and many talk of the great progress 
the county is now making toward prosperity. 
They look upon the million dollar building which 
is being put up as the greatest thing that has 
ever happened in the county. True, there is 
more money in circulation in the county to-day 
than ever before, but when those of us who 
have traveled over the counties of New Hamp- 
shire, Vermont and Michigan, where nothing 
but fire-blackened stumps are to be seen, look 
forward, it does not require a very vivid imagi- 
nation to see that Haywood county in thirty 
years from now will be the most desolate sec- 
tion of Western North Carolina. If the Govy- 
ernment does not take a hand and regulate the 
cutting of the forests of our steep mountain 
sides, places like Haywood county, with to-day 
their million dollar paper pulp plants. will in 
another generation, in all probability, be aban- 
doned wastes and desolate lands. 
Each year has seen the movement toward the 
establishment of these forest reserves better 
understood by the people at large, and each year 
is bringing it nearer consummation. But each 
year it is delayed is also adding untold diffi- 
culties toward its establishment, which difficul- 
ties the Government will sooner or later be 
compelled to meet as a matter of self protection. 
The matter will come up again at the next 
session of Congress, and those who are on the 
inside feel satisfied that the bill will pass if the 
Speaker of the House does not stand in the way. 
The following preamble and resolutions were 
passed at the Asheville meeting: 
Whereas, The 
national forest 
establishment of 
Appalachian 
movement for the 
reserves in the Southern 
Mountains and the White Mountains of New Hamp- 
shire is still pending before Congress; and 
Whereas, Since the movement was first started here in 
methods of lum- 
fold, and is now 
mountain sec- 
Asheville in 1899, the 
bering operations has 
threatening the denudation 
tion; and 
Whereas, 
of the Southern 
present wasteful 
increased many 
of the whole 
Millions of acres of the steep mountain lands 
Appalachians are unfit for agricultural 
purposes, and when once denuded by close lumbering 
and fire are practically worthless as land and_ will 
cease to act as a protection and water reservoir to the 
agricultural lands of the Southeastern States; and 
Whereas, The great advancement of agricultural and 
mechanical arts in the South demand a more conserva- 
tive policv in the cutting of timber on these mountain 
lands; and 
Whereas, The past six years have seen the largest tan- 
neries and paper pulp mills in the country established 
in the heart of this mountain forest, threatening even 
greater destructive cutting than ever, and 
Whereas, The destruction of the forests of the South- 
ern Appalachian Mountains will be of such far-reaching 
results, in neighboring States, that the matter is not a 
State matter, but can only be handled by national regu- 
lation, and 
Whereas, 
movement eight vears ago, 
than ever brought to our attention 
Government is every year not only 
wisdom of our memorial to Congress upon that subject 
in 1899, but this delay is also adding great expense and 
new difficulties to be overcome, but which condition the 
government will eventually from necessity have to meet; 
therefore, be it 
the originators of the 
had it more forcibly 
that delay by the 
demonstrating the 
As citizens of Asheville, 
we have 
now, 
Resolved, That through the American Forestry Asso- 
ciation, Congress be again most strongly urged to give 
heed and consideration to the memorial nraving for the 
establishment of forest reserves in the Southern Appa- 
lachian and White Mountains of New Hampshire. 
C. P. AMBLER. 
All the game eee of the "Weed States and 
Canada, revised to date and now in force, are 
given in the Game Laws in Brief. Sce adv. 

695 


Maryland Protectors Meet. 
Battimore, Md., Oct. 24.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: The Maryland Game and Fish Protec- 
tive Association met in annual session in this 
city to-night. Among those who addressed the 
meeting were James H.Worden, President, and 
Dr. Joseph Kalbfus, Secretary of the Pennsyl- 
vania Game Commission; John Frank, Secretary 
of the Maryland Fishermen’s Protective Asso- 
ciation, and Oregon M. Dennis, Secretary of 
the Maryland Game and Fish Protective Asso- 
ciation, and State Game Warden. Mr. Dennis 
resigned as secretary of the association, how- 
ever, as he felt that he should not hold both 
offices. 
Messrs. George D. Penniman, Oregon M. 
Dennis and Conway W. Sams were appointed a 
committee to publish a history of the State as- 
sociation. 
Executive Committee men were re-elected as 
follows: George D. Penniman, M. H. Ould, 
William B. Hurst, Robert J. Kane, L. M. 
Levering, W. T. Shackelford, Lloyd L. Mac- 
Gil) Dr SalG. -Penninstony.s Or. Charlies, C. 
Harris, Henry Brauns, J. Olney Norris, R. H. 
Gilbert, William H. McDowell, Dr. H. G. 
Wilson, Judge Conway W. Sams, G. Allnutt 
Manning, Oregon Milton Dennis, Harry N. 
Abercrombie, Talbot Denmead, Dr. B. soe 
Smith, Dr. “Al Po Gore, De, W:. Thoms Ww. Hs 
Armstrong, C. S. Schermerhorn, Seety ay 
Ducker, M. O. Selden and Dr. O. Pancoast. 
Secretary Dennis’ report follows: 
“From the reports that have come to me I 
believe there are more game birds in the State 
at this time than there has been for a long while. 
This condition has been brought about by 
various causes, among which are the favorable 
conditions of the weather during the last year, 
restocking the various counties with partridges, 
and the activity of the deputy game wardens. 
‘The song birds are more numerous than I 
have ever known them to be. This is largely 
due not only to the protection given them by 
the deputy game wardens, but also by the 
Audubon societies and the teachers of the 
public schools in the cities as well as in the 
various counties. Inquiries will prove the truth 
of these statements. 
“So far as the fish are concerned, except for 
the voluntary services of the deputy game 
wardens who happened to be on the ground and 
detected violations, very little has been done by 
the State game department or the association. 
The former, as is well known to you all, was 
handicapped and practically prev ented from be- 
ing active at all, for the reason that the last 
Legislature cut out all appropriations for this 
branch of the work, and by refusing to place the 
protection of fish in the hands of the fish com- 
missioners and giving that department proper 
facilities for the enforcement of the laws. But 
they went further and cut out every dollar of 
the usual appropriation for the protection of 
fish. 
“T have had complaints from various sections 
of the State with reference to the violations of 
the fish laws, and have been severely criticized 
for the non-enforcement of them. I am sure, 
however, that my critics had no knowledge of 
the condition of affairs and of my inability, 
growing out of the lack of funds, to send special 
deputies to catch up with the violators. The fish 
question is becoming a serious one. How, with 
the lack of funds and the repeal of the ‘size law’ 
with reference to Baltimore city and the use of 
nets without restraint, could any other con- 
dition exist? But I am happy to report that 
there has grown up a bond of sympathy between 
the Wholesale Fish Dealers’ Association, Fish- 
ermen’s Protective Association and this associa- 
tion, the result of which will be, I am convinced, 
that these three bodies will work harmoniously 
for such legislative action as will bring about 
proper laws at the next session of the Legis- 
lature and co-operation in the enforcement of 
them. I have been assured by these interests 
that there is one thing they will certainly stand 
for, and that is the restoration of the repealed 
‘size law’ on fish in Baltimore city. 
“T am very reluctant to offer any new 
gestions for legislative action for the protection 
sug- 























































































