Show STOCK GROWERS A paper on forest reserves by a utah stockman unabated interest jin the proceedings several and con v denver colo jan of the questions which have for years agitated the stock growers of the west the conflicting interests of the cattle men and the sheep men was precipitated on the national live stock convention today by the consideration of a resolution to the department of the interior that the rules prohibiting the grazing of sheep on the forest reserves of the west be abrogated A substitute resolution approving the action of the government in protecting the forest reserves was introduced by ralph talbot of colorado chairman smith 0 the utah delegation spoke in favor of the resolution denying that sheep injure the range he declared that sheep the grass johnson of colorado said that many years experience as an irrigator Irrl gator convinced him that forests are a detriment rather than a help in the conservation of snow lie favored the resolution speeches of much warmth followed from rothwell Doth well of wyoming en of colorado and others anally mr darnes of arizona offered an amendment to the substitute providing for the grazing of sheep on the reserves where investigation shows that no harm to the timber results this in the nature of compromise wag accepted by the convention and tbt substitute was adopted A resolution authorizing the appointment by the united states of a of stockmen stoc kmen accompanied by a request upon the mexican government for the appointment of a similar commission the two commissions to meet and arrange the laws and regulations necessary to facilitate international trade and movement of live stock between this country and the republic of mexico was introduced by J V Vl chers of arizona and was adopted resolutions were made as follows requesting the agricultural depart ment to publish cattle bulletins similar to those in the interests of agriculture ng senate bill prohibiting an extension of tho transit limit for the transportation of the live stock in cars from 28 to 40 hours endorsing senate bill which proposes to give the interstate inter state commerce commission power to enforce its decisions authorizing the chairman to appoint a corn of one from each of the states of colorado utah and wyoming to confer with the governors of those states regarding the best means of cattle thieves P J berry horse salesman of the chicago stock yards gave a description of that great institution he detailed some of the benefits stockmen stoc kmen derive from th modern packing house he declared that through the economy possible under present 1 very large saving Is made of which goes to the stock grower and feeder I 1 continued on seventh page sa STOCK GROWERS convention continued from page 1 mr S M emery director of the montana experiment station at boar man read a paper entitled the fr turc of the range industry ho sau in part there is a future for the range business and it is being successfully demonstrated in many parts of montana and wyoming it Is that which moves the cattle far out in the early spring as boon as tho grass has made sufficient growth and calves have been branded on the vast extent of plains country covering perhaps square miles lying in the northeast portion of montana there to summer and to wax tat as did jerusalem of old after the beet roundup round up is over the steers cut out and marketed and the late calves branded the bunches will be moved south aad west towards the settled portions 0 the state and the cows and calves and young steers be turned inside pastures and fed to hay with the result that losses be trifling and a short cut of a year be taken upon the maturity of every steer sent to market cattle raising inside fields ia profitable in the middle west on lands worth from ra to per acre why may it not be so made in the northwest with the combination of cheap and rent tree lands any western man knows the virtue found in forage and grain produced in western climes where the sapping rains which exhaust all nutriment from forage plants are lacking at the time of the year when growth and hardening is most to be desired there can be no question but that the western cattle business will be reorganized upon these lines there is a natural wealth in the wild grasses of the plains almost beyond computation it is valuable soley as it is consumed in its proper season and manufactured it you please into the choicest cuts of beet and mutton and the cleanest and strongest albred wool that goes to market this profit must not be lost sight of it must be utilized it was formerly fashionable to prate upon the extinction of the na alvo grasses upon their having run out upon their having been destroyed by the hoot of the sheep this is an error all these grasses require to regain their pristine proportions Is mois turo and heat from proper combination the past season with its alve and one halt inch rainfall in the of may and june followed by warm growing weather was a new revelation to every plainsman hay could le cut on every bench and the pity was that it could not all have been consumed and converted the results of this season have left new impressions of the future of the wild grasses on the minds of many interested stockmen stoc kmen if we apply the golden rule the greatest good to the greatest number to the problem no regrets will be expressed save by those directly losers by this change that the open range industry Is to be circumscribed the experiment station of montana has never recommended a settler from eastern states to move onto and occupy government land it did not believe the time was ripe that irrigation was loo nearly a science to be undertaken liy the uninformed and that for the present at least very much cafer rea suits would accrue by newcomers purchasing the improved farm lands which can always be bought cheaper than they can be settled and improved yet the time is close at hand when the settled nuclei will extend outward the homes carved out of government land mr john C mackay of utah acadia paper entitled forest reserves effects upon the range and development of the country he said reserves have been established in most of our western states with 1 out reference to the representatives of the states inot directly interested or the conditions of their admission as political communities the national forest policy seems to be directed and impelled by the american forestry association whose membership roll contains names a clean majority arc residents of new york masca pennsylvania new jersey and the district of columbia SO claiming residence in washington city the organization Is 0 o constituted that a few active members can ahapa the course of the association and become a powerful influence in framing the policy of the government relative to the disposal of forest lands while the objections of the association are worthy and important where timber is needed act assertions asser tiona of fact are made and expressions used which arc so erroneous and misleading that one would net think possible to emanate from such an august body the principal objects set forth arc the preservation of the water supply and of timber where it is suitable for lumber which are very worthy and very important but the plan they suggest Is wrong and detrimental to he citizens of abo western the american forestry association alleges that timber being cut and stock being permitted to arazo therein eating the braes graes and underbrush destroys our water supply that the keeping of sheep is nomadic and recommends the exclusion of sheep from the pasturage these reservations as destroyers ot the boresta and of the plains the gerders herders are incendiaries of borc sia and recommends the use of the army to guard these reserves D B fernow chairman of the executive says that he has not ward Q eliglo good reason against the cs the reasons usually can be in bica down to home small speculative 61 that ls supposedly sacrificed ton w gutter communal interest the p 11 alaa taken hii a home bobio toe woods not to make a I 1 on th hulate with the timber c s feels injured because s aph efa may not pan out the acs r feela allured because he ly es se t which he had 11 hag at baht and which he of 10 destroy by hla rcck lees 1 by tk A third class la uon 00 who consider the c y one imposed upon western communities by eastern cranks ignorant of western conditions let us analyze these statements and ascertain the facts they assert that forests protect the source of streams in mountain and highland districts by preserving the snow from melting and impeding the percolation of melted snow or rain from reaching ithe valley below my observation and experience in the mountains for over 20 years teaches me that snow melts first in belts of umber or brush what snow remains in the mountains after the first of july in each year is on open ground where it has been laid by drifting these snow banks are on open land and water from springs are the sources of supply after the first of july when utah was first settled people who located on streams and rivers thought they need all the water to irrigate their farms with and declared that there was not room for any more dut others came and commenced to cultivate the soil to make canals to irrigate their farms to use the water more systematically and to greater advantage and today there are acres or more irrigated where one was formerly time has demonstrated that water is not lost by flooding it over land for it will percolate through the soil and return to the natural drainage of the country or break out in living springs on a lower level and then it can be utilized on the lower lands the only practical way to preserve water in the arid region is to build reservoirs and retain the water during flood tide the timber within of these reservoirs belongs to the coniferous genera is very scrubby full of knots and unfit tor lumber the use of the ord nomadic as defining this mode of sheep keeping la calculated to give a false conception of the pursuit the owners are not no ands nor are their flocks nature has given us our deserts and mountain ranges separated by intervening valleys for ane use of man and beast animals have been created adapted to conditions and dif farent localities sheep are a peculiar animal they will eat a greater variety of browse and vegetation than any other animal which I 1 am acquainted quain ted in the summer time they require shade and the timber belts are their natural range there is no other domestic animal that will remain in the timber and cai the grass and browse our deserts are their natural range horses and cattle are not so easily moved from summer to winter range nor do they thrive so well on snow j the eating of the grass and browse in the umber Is a safeguard against forest fires mr fernow and others show an animosity towards their acl low citizens choso whoso interests are direct I 1 ly affected by these forest reserves and impute to them ulterior motives tor 1 protesting it seems as though they would like to establish a feudal system in america have large tracts of land set apart for reserves so that some idealist scientific expert or privileged person might view dame nature in its primitive state perchance fish and hunt therein if the executive orders or tiona in regard to forest reserves are not revoked or modified it will destroy to a great extent the important industry of sheep husbandry sheep are singled out as the evil genius of the land it will not only affect sheep men but it will curtail the range cattle and horses as sheep v all be forced to encroach upon the rancher the hardy pioneer who has taken up a homestead adjacent to the reserve depending entirely upon the umber for his fuel will bo deprived and injured the scavenger who gathers up the fallen umber for th of taking it to the kalns kilns to burn into charcoal will be deprived of his livelihood the poor man who sets umber out of the mountains for the mines will be deprived of Ms labor tho minors will be forced to ship their umbers for a longer distance and pay an extra freight tax the shelters smelters sm elters will ao 10 taxed extra freight rates tor long hauls on charcoal and every person living i the adjoining country will be injured more or less I 1 the western citizens have just cause for complaint and our eastern neighbors no personal inter otts ot ts bot try to rivet upon us something which la a great detriment and injury to us in conclusion let mo say that this preat and important convention of live sock Inter cuts should dealno its position in no uncertain terms and adopt such means as the wisdom of this convention dictates to have the president of these united states revoke the orders or proclamations setting apart forest in western states |