Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-09

PRODUCTION OF WOOL.
Among the industries to which the atten-
ton of the agricultural population OF this
State has been largely directed, and one which
is daily growing in importance, is the produc-
ton OF wool, and while it is true that the
rapid settlement of the State has to great
extent resulted in the determination OF beasts
of prey, such as wolves and animals OF that
character which prey upon sheep, there has
product of civilization, and which
it is easy to alleviate II
not entirely remove by proper legislation.
The complaints are numerous that this in
dustry has been and is largely affected by the
ravages Of dogs; and We request such action
of your honorable body upon this subject as
will result in the protection to which the per-
sons engaged in this industry are entitled.
FUEL SUPPLY.
1t has seemed to this board proper to call
the attention of the legislature to subject
which is in our opinion of vital importance to
the entire population of this State, affecting
as it does, not only the present butIthe future,
and being intimately connected with the settle
ment and development of the entire State. 1t
will appear by reference that large portion of
the areable acreage of Minnesota is contained
within the treeless prairies, which lie in the
northern, western and southern portions OF
the State. You are well aware that during the
few years last past the immigration to and the
Development of this region has been enormous
and almost without parallel in the history of
any other country. The enactments by Con-
gress of homestead laws, tree-culture acts,
location of land warrants and prescriptions
have been exceedingly favorable,
and almost the only obstacle that
the settler had to contend with are the physi-
cal and climatic influences in the regions re-
g. - rbo ,,f+b a coil has
tested and has surpassed the highest expectata-
tons, the facility with which it can be cult
waited is unquestionable and the results of
ordinary cultivation have and will be undoubt-
eddy the most profitable. There is not only
included in this region almost the entire
wheat producing portion OF the State, but the
facilities which it offers to all forms of agri-
culture and stock raising are included, are un-
surpassed in the United States; there is, how
ever one obstacle with which the settler has to
contend, which until recently has been be-
ieved to be almost unsurmountable, and which
to-day presents the gravest problem with
which our State has to contend in the future.
1t is not necessary at this time or in this re-
port to point out the disadvantages to all
classes and to all occupations, arising from the
absence of timber and fuel in the districts to
which we have referred, the want is too ap-
parent, too evident, and its importance too
great to require any detailed
statement of it, that it has to certain extent
been overcome is also evident; that it can be
overcome successfully and completely has
been distinctly and clearly proven, and if such
result can be fastened by any legislative en-
actments or any public method devised which
would be of benefit to parties now living in
those districts, it seems to us of the most i'm
porthnce thatit should be at once inaugu-
rated.
The enactments on the part of the United
States touching timber culture have been of
unquestionable benefit as far as they go, but
it is undoubtedly the case that coupled as they
are with the acquisition of title to those valu-
able lands, the absence of proper supervision
as to whether or not the law has been complied
with, the inability of the frontier settler to
provide himself with the necessary amount of
proper trees, their general want of knowledge
upon the subject of the most beneficial meth
DDS of cultivation, the looseness with which the
statutes of the United States upon the subject
are enforced, have all tended to cripple
the effect of such legislation, so that it has
not resulted as beneficially as it might have
done in the actual planting and growth of
timber.
We have theref ore the honor to recommend
to your body an ing uiry by you as to the adj
visibility of establishing in each of the tree
less counties of this State county forestry,
and the devoting therein of at least one sec
ton of the public lands to the cultivation and
growth of the proper kind of trees and timber,
and according to the most approved methods;
the distribution to the settlers by the county of
such timber when the same shall have been
grown, and also the distribution among them
of the necessary information to enable them to
successfully cultivate such timber; the expense
of such forestries would be nominal in COM
parison with the benefit with which they
would confer upon the entire State, as the
cultivation of one section of land devoted solely
to timber could be done at comparatively
light expense, and the benefits resulting from
such course both to the settler in those tree
less regions and the State at large in the
course of ten years would be absolutely be-
yond comparison.
1t seems necessary that there should be some
relief TO the many who are brought, and of
frequent occurrence, into litigation through
the inadequacy of our patent laws, and their
enforcement. There are many innocent pur-
chasers of valuable and patented appliances
who are made the victims of those holding the
royalty, when We think the manufacturer
alone, of the same, should be held responsible.
memorial'to Congress from your honorable
body touching this, We beg to suggest, may
lead to a remedy
With the rapidly increased area devoted to
raising wheat, and the appliances in use for
harvesting the same, we would suggest to
our people to give their attention to
the cultivation of hemp, and the estab-
lishment of manufactures at
central points in the State to manufacture the
hemp into Irvine, thus saving annually con- \
spicuous amount which goes out of the State
to purchase this necessity for binding geain.
As stated, we have not deemed it advisable
in this report to go into details or particulars
of the matters discussed. You have before
you the sources of our information. If there
are remedies to be applied or benefits to be eX-
tracted from legislation, the right to apply
those remedies rests wholly with your honor
able body, the peculiar method of their adop-
ton are entirely with you, and when We have
performed our duty in thus generally calling
your attention to the matters which appear to
us to require the enactment of wise and bene-
fetal laws for their assistance, We feel that we
have performed the duty imposed upon us by
the law under which this board was organized.
All Of which is respectfully submitted.
JOHN BYERs, President.
GEORGE GILES, Secretary.
The report was accepted and adopted
by unanimous vote, and the secretary
instructed to furnish the Governor with
the same for transmission to the legisla-
ture, and also the daily press with a copy
for publication
Thereport adopted, Mr.. Schofield called
attention to the unsatisfactory status of
the Agricultural college connected with
the State uniyerSity-before the