6 'Cbe Conservative ,
seem to mo tlmt our interests nro so
identical that it has been a mistake.
We do feel that it is highly desirable
that these bodies bo brought together ,
and therefore I move
' "That a committee of three bo ap
pointed as a conference committee to
confer with a similar committee from
the Irrigation Congress to agree upon
some plan of amalgamation of these two
great interests. "
UEMAUKS.
MK. NEWELL : "As a member of the
American Forestry Association , I should
like to urge some steps looking toward
a union of interests of these two organ
izations. I wish to say tlmt , although I
have been an officer of the American
Forestry Association for some time , and
have taken a great interest in the work ,
I have no pretensions of knowing any
thing about forestry. I do not know a
tree half the time when I see it. I have
been drawn into the thing through my
interest in water conservation. We can
not talk about irrigation but what the
matter of forestry comes up , and of the
hundreds of thousands of farmers who
are tilling the soil of the western half of
the country by means of irrigation , there
is hardly a one but what believes that
his interests are directly connected with
the preservation of the forests. His in
terest is not only in a water supply , but
also in furnishing a permanent quantity
of material for fire-wood .
- , fence-postsetc.
After a united effort we have succeeded
in getting a number of men together in
the East to form an American Forestry
Association. Wo have about 1,000 mem
bers , but my experience has been that it
is exceedingly difficult to bring in the
Western men. I have personally more
acquaintances in the West than in the
East , but I have been able to pull in
fewer men than in the East. This has
crippled our efforts in the past. The
Western politicians say this is an Eastern
organization and does not know about
matters of the West. In order that thie
association may gain strength we must
draw in the Western men , and I see no
better way than through the irrigation
interest. "
Mu. WirEELEK : "Four years ago I
addressed a congress at Denver and at
tempted to show that the forest is Na
ture's great reservoir. I had learned
there that it was possible to co-operate and
we held joint meetings. Being a mem
ber of both associations I was much in
terested in combining the work. I have
been connected with the forestry and
association work in Kansas for a num
ber of years , and during my first ap
pointment as commissioner of forestry
I learned the truth of the assertion that
it is impossible for a man to talk about
irrigation without forestry , or forestry
without getting mixed up with the other
subject , and during my first two terms
of office I addressed over fifty public
meetings , and in every address I com
bined the two subjects ; that is , I
branched off to either one or the other ,
and I think that the two great interests
of foresty and irrigation should go hand
in hand. " '
The motion was then put and earned
unanimously.
The chairman appointed J. Sterling
Morton , Dr. George L. Miller and E. F.
Stephens on this committee.
MR. MORTON : "I think the timber
of the future is to be grown in the trans-
Missouri country , and those states are
: o furnish the ship-timbers of the future.
We can grow timber quicker than they
can farther East , and I have seen saw-
logs coming from land which I knew
forty years ago to bo bare prairie. I dis
agree with my friend , the Doctor , as to
the durability of our timber. I think
that our timber , when cut at the right
season and properly handled , is just as
durable , in spite of the fact of its more
rapid growth , as that raised in the East.
I cannot see why a tree that has more
nutrition here should be weaker than a
; ree that has less there , or why the fiber
should be different. The tree alluded to
by Mr. Emory as the Tamarack , seems
: o me cannot be the same Tamarack that
we know in the East , but is more like
bho English Walnut. The Tamaracks
here , as Governor Furuos knows very
well , do nothing at all ; even the Larch
is rather slow and not long-lived , as a
rule. This question as to the Hickory
and the borers is one of great importance
just at this time , because in the last two
years these borers have attacked the
Shellbark Hickory , which was always
exempt up to two or three years ugo.and
I have a grove which contains some
trees which I have watched for more
than forty years. They had grown to
be very handsome Shellbark Hickory ,
but are now all dead , and it seems to me
that the borer is not like the Pignut
borer.
"It seems to mo that in this work we
have got to make up in its quality what
wo lack in quantity of membership , and
I cannot think of any better thing for
this association to do than to propose a
system of legislation by the different
states which shall prescribe the method
of cutting timber , that is , a system of
laws which shall absolutely prevent the
leaving of debris so as to make the great
fires , which cost us more than the wood
man's axe every year , and I think noth
ing could bo better than to appoint a
committee , jointly , to draft a law pre
scribing the manner in which the lum
berman shall take care of the 'slash , ' as
they call it , because out of the tree tops ,
twigs and branches which are loft come
our great fires , which destroy millions
of dollars' worth of good timber. All
this could bo avoided , if there were a
penalty for the leaving of debris. Our
great pine-producing states would be
millions and millions of dollars bettei
off today if they had had some legisla
tion of this sort twenty years ago , and it
is not too late to begin it now. I make
; his as a suggestion , which I think is
worthy of your consideration. "
MR. MICIIELSEN : "I move that this
matter bo taken under immediate con
sideration. It is eminently proper that
some such action should bo taken. I
mve recently traveled through Wyom
ing , and have seen the forest fires that
mvo been caused by the most absurd
waste of perhaps designing men. I be-
ieve that the time is ripe to start an
agitation of that subject , and I believe
that all the states would be glad to en
act legislation , because I am quite satis-
led that the federal government will
stand back of the states in enforcing
federal legislation that is now on the
statute books. I happen to know that
in the state of Colorado much waste by
fires has been stopped by the United
States government providing rangers
out of those who are in the employ of
the government , whose duty it is to see
that no fires ore left where they can do
liarin , and that people dispose of the
tops after they cut the trees. What we
are after is not to prevent the cutting of
timber for common use , nor do we de
sire to do away with sawmills or tie-
cutting. The forests of this country are
largo enough to stand that for a good
long time to come , provided the fires
are prevented. The idea would be that
legislation be prepared for next winter.
Then I should also suggest that each
man here consider himself as a commit
tee to use his personal influence with
his fellow citizens in his own state , to
get such legislation enacted at the en
suing sessions of the various legisla
tures. "
Moved and seconded that a commit
tee of three bo appointed to formulate a
.statute adapted to the several states to
regulate the cutting of timber in order
to prevent the destruction of forests by
fire. Motion earned.
MR. MORTON : "I think the general
public misconstrue the object of this
association ; that they seem to think
that we intend to prevent the cutting
of any timber at all , while it is really to
show how to utilize forests and get the
most out of thQin. "
The chair appointed Henry Michelsen ,
Prof. S. M. Emory and Mr. William T.
Little as members of this committee.
Motion made and seconded that these
gentlemen and two others to bo ap
pointed by the chair , bo a committee on
resolutions. Motion carried.
The chair appointed Mr. F. H.
Newell and J. Sterling Morton as the
other two members of this committee.
The following resolution was sub
mitted by Professor Emory and seconded
ended :
"J3e it resolved by the American Fores
try Association :
"That it endorses the creation by
presidential proclamation of the Middle
Creek watershed reserve , the manage
ment of the same to bo placed by con
gressional action in the Montana College
