The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-06-22
MINNESOTA NEWS.
Forest Protection in Minnesota.

SHlcl w VI IhlAuCoOGd 0Cu.
c. c. Andrews. has just been pu blisked,
from which it appears that according
to the reports of fire wardens. the
damage done by forest fires in 1897
was So, ass, and by prairie fires S14,-
554. There were periods of protracted
dry weather both in the spring and
autumn. Considering that the value
of the standing timber in Minnesota is
500, 900, 900, the reported damage by
forest fires is regarded as very small.
The opinion of the chemist at the Uni
versity of Minnesota is quoted that an
average prairie fire will remove more
nitrogen from the soil than five ordin-
airy crops of wheat.
Compensation of Fire Wartlens.
Complaints were received from fire
wardens in few counties that the
county commissioners refused to al
low their accounts The pay of fire
wardens in an ordinary year is limited
to fifteen days in year at So day;
quite number of fire wardens have
rendered their services without MAX
ing any charge. 1t was with view to
economy and justice that the law au-
o"oAA@SA SouhlJ w
pass upon fire warden accounts; it not
being deemed good policy to allow the
town supervisors, who by law are con-
stituted fire wardens to pay them
selves for services. Under the circum-
stances, for county commissioners to
arbitrarily refuse to consider and al
low the reasonable claims of fire war.
dens, as has occurred in a few claims
of fire wardenS, as has occurred in a
few counties, is not only unjust to the
class of men who, as rule cannot al.
ford to give their time to the public.
but tends to demoralize the fire wal
den service. No county can expend
more than $500 in year for fire war
den service. and the state REIN burses
each county one-third of the amount it
thus eXpendS.
Some Forestry Facts and Principles.
The report states that: 1.-The value
of the pine, just as it stands, that is
cnt in Minnesota in single winter, in
a favorable business year, is $1,000, 900;
when sawed into lum Der at the mills,
its value will have increased to $1O,-
900, 900, of which increase, so per cent,
or $1,000, 900 represents labor; when
further manufactured and worked up
in various forms its value becomes
multiplied. This partly illustrates the
value of our forests as an industrial
resource. The friends of forestry do
not interfere with the cutting and
marketing of timber. On the contrary,
they wish the industry to be contlnu-
Gus and great step in making 1T con-
tinuous, is the prevention of forest
fires, thereby promoting the natural
reproduction of forest on cut over land.
The friends of forestry concede that
the private owners of pine land have
right to, and for their financial success
must, cut and sell their pine whenever
they can find good market for it. If
there are forest areas which the public
needs to have kept as forest-for ex-
ample, at the head waters of rivers, to
help maintain water flow, or near some
beautiful lake for scene y and health
then the public must buy it."
Leading Principles of Forestry.
The Chief Fire Warden thinks that
as the public comes to understand
forestry it will be easier to enforce the
Id" lOACSO hlVS. n 1CdOlhS
principle of forestry, he says, is that
the best agi icultural land should not
be devoted to forest. One of the great
economic advantages of Forestry is
that wood and tim Der can be profit
ably grown on soil that is unfit for
farming purposes. Another principle
is that the forest must be continuous;
that no more limb should be then
taken out of it in a year, or in a series
of ten or twenty years than grows in
the entire forest the same period An
other principle is that the cutting of
tim Der should be in blocks or strips
so as to facilitate reproduction on the
clear areas by seeds falling from the
trees left standing. Another principle
is that the forests, when young, must
have in mum bers, vastly more trees
than when it it mature. The tree
grown in the open may be handsome
and useful for shade, but it is useless
for timber. To make good timber the
forest, when young, must be crowded
so as to secure height growth. Mixed
wood managed on forestry princi files
in the Black Forest of Germany fhas
per acre, at the age of 20 years. $3.50
trees; at the age of 100 years, 262 trees.
"Our best white pines have been
growing from 100 to 200 years; and al.
though merchantable pine, but not of
best quality, may be grown in 60 years,
there are but very few individuals will
ing to wait so long for a crop; and il
any thing important is to be done to re.
new and perpetuate our forest wealth,
it must be done by the state, of
through the inducement it offers.
through the reduction of taxes erin
other form" ".
Minnesota Briefs.
Upon an alleged wager of $3.50, Paul
J. Justin a circus performer iumped.