Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1885-03-26


attention and commanded the greater
share of effort. Lately, however, owners
begin to realize that there Is value In
their hardwood lands. 1t has been dem
Onstratsd that the northern counties Of
the lower peninsula of Michigan are
we'll adapted to farming and to the SUP
port of dense population. The same ia
true of large portions of tho upper pen
insula, and sections of Northern WiscOn-
sin. 1t has dawnQd on the minds OF
men who own large areas of these hard
wood lands in connection with their
pine. that the time has come when some
thing can DO done to make them profit
able.
A gentleman connected with one OF
the leading pine manufacturing c0mpa-
MES on the upper peninsula, which also
owns large area of land in that part Of
Michigan, lately remarked to a member
of the same concern that the time had
come when the company should begin
the saving OF hardwood as well as pine.
His plan was to enter upon tract and
clear 1t OF all standing timber. convert
all the avail able stuff into lumber and
square timber, and use the residue for
making charcoal. He said that the iron
Industry, already large ia that section OF
the state, would increase, and charcoal
was what was required for that purpose.
For this reason be thought that the de-
mand for charcoal would constantly en-
large, and all that could be made would
find ready market. His idea is that
money can be made cut of the timber In
the process OF clearing, and then the
land will have become valuable for farm
ing purposes. Good hardwood lands in
the upper peninsula. ia their wild
state, may DO said to be worth now from
Sl.2o to $f an acre, according to lOca-
tlOh. After they are thoroughly cleared
and made tit for farming they will be
werth $40 and $25 an acre. Thus 1t will
be seen that il profit can DO realized
In First utilizing the timber, the result
ing value of the lands would be enough
t, 1nduee their owners to lumber and
clear them. In the case of pine lands
it is generally considered that the de-
nuded areas are nearly worthless for
any purpose whatever; though this has
been found to be mistake in portions
OF the lower peninsula, where very go0i
FIRMS have been made Of stripped pine
lands. But there is no question about
the agricultural valae of the land that
has produced heavy growth of maple,
elm, Eastwood, and other woods that are
characteristic Of northern Michigan and
Wisconsin.
To capitalists who are tired Of spseu-
lati0n, who seek solid and safe invest
ment, and who, witkal have a love Of
the soil, like to own and manage it, and
receive their revenue from it-a dispO-
sition that still fingers in some of our
people, as heritage from English and
continental ancestry-the possession OF
tracts of the magnificent hardwood
timber lands of Michigan and Wisconsin
cannot bat be satisfactory in future re-
suits. An estate of such a character,
rightly MANAGED, cannot fail to afford u
fair ine0me--first in timber and then In
agricultural products. This conclusion
Is based largely on the situation of the
northern counties of Michigan and Wis
eOnsin, much of their area contiguous to
the waters of the great lakes, and thus
accessible to the most active markets in
the country at low cost of transp0rta-
ten. The lumber operations on u tract
Of land shus owned for revenue should
be conducted wisely and carefully, with
view to the prevailing market for for
est products. Netting should be slaugh.
tered merely to get it off the land. 1t
should always be borne in mind that
thrifty tree had better DO left standing |
for few wears than marketed at no
proflt. BY thus judlciOusly outstanding |
Forest resources much c0nld be made of |
them ia a course Of years. A few years !
ago the elm and maple of the Grand |
Traverse region in Michigan was thought |
to be OF no value when land was to be |
cleared; these timbers were remOrselsss-
ly cut and burned in log heaps to got |
them out Of the way. Now such timber |
that 10 at AL accessible to water, has a |
market value, and is being turned into |
money. Small farmers who must raise
crops or starve cannot afford to wait |
years for their timber to come into mar
ket, but capitalists can, and they can |
devise means for aecelerating the csm-
ing of the market. An owner of tim
Der estate for revenue could often add |
the manufacture of wood ia various
forms to his industry, and thus not be
wholly dependent on the sale Of raw pro-
ducts. In one way and another he could
utilize all his timber as a source Of rev. |
enue, and clear The land for farming
purposes only when tho last SADDLE had
been turned into msney. He could also
parsue a eouls SO of practical forestry,
and devote to perpetual woods those p0r-
tons of his domain better adapted to
forests than anything else. The scheme
as a whole would be simply an ee0nOmi-
cal management of wooded estate,
handy to markets, for the purpose OF
realizing all possible profit from 1t.