Page:The National Geographic Magazine Vol 16 1905.djvu/67

Rh in using extremely dilute solutions of copper sulphate. Numerous tests have been made in cooperation with boards of health and water engineers, and the method has been proved remarkably efficient. The fact that one part of copper sulphate to 100,000 parts of water will at ordinary temperature completely destroy the bacteria causing typhoid fever and Asiatic cholera suggests the great usefulness of copper in fighting these and other diseases.

The present situation as regards forestry in the United States the Secretary regards as exceedingly hopeful. The lumber industry seems to be awakening to the fact that lumbering with reference to future as well as present profits may be good business. The general adoption of forestry as an established policy now depends primarily on busi- ness conditions. Extensive investigations of forest conditions are still urgently needed. Studies which individuals cannot undertake, but which must be made if the wealth-producing power of the country as a whole is to be brought to the highest point, need to be prosecuted in the public interest. The furtherance of that part of this department's work which is directed toward informing the small owner how he can to advantage practice forestry on his own account is of the first importance.

There is now no considerable portion of the United States for which the Bu- reau of Forestry has not at hand special knowledge bearing directly on questions pertaining to the use of the forests. In the work of building up a sound perma- nent policy for the forests of the na- tional domain, this department contin- ues to render important service, and it is plain that the ultimate function of the Bureau of Forestry as a part of the government administrative equipment is gradually defining itself. The work to which the bureau must hereafter chiefly devote itself includes scientific study of problems having a practical bearing on forest utilization ; coopera- tion with states seeking advice concern- ing forest legislation, administration, or the formulation of a state forest policy ; and, finally, the discharge of any duties assigned to it by the national govern- ment in connection with the administra- tion of public lands. The forester is at present the official adviser in technical matters of those departments having in charge forested lands. The greatest need of the West, says the Secretary, is water, and in many states future set- tlement and prosperity depend abso- lutely upon its conservation, and this again largely, in many cases wholly, depends upon the preservation of the forests.

The work of planting on forest re- serves has been begun in California, Colorado, and Nebraska.

He expresses gratification at the recog- nition by Congress of the work of the bureau which has enabled it to increase its force within six years 16-fold, and its expenditures 12-fold. That this lib- erality is true economy is demonstrated by the fact that a single discovery now commo?ily applied to the prodnctio?i of tur- pentine is effecting a savi?ig annually equal to the total expenditures of the Bureau for six years.

No less than 1,429 selected kinds of seeds and plants were introduced from foreign countries and established in the United States. These included 350 date suckers representing 42 varieties, 19 va- rieties of grapes from Russian Caucasus, 33 varieties of mangoes of recognized superiority from central India, 157 bush- els of berseem from the valley of the Nile, 2,000 pounds of the famous new barley from Moravia, 200 trees of the