The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-11-07
MINNESOTA NEWS.
Practical Eorestrx for minnesota.

The Minnesota legislature of 1899
created forestry board of nine mem
bers to serve without pay and to man
age any lands which the state may
acquire by gift or purchase for for
estry purposes. The first lands which
the State has acquired under that law
were 1000 acres of cut over pine land
in Cass county which were donated
by the late Ex-Governor John S. Pills
bury. In June last the board en-
ployed Mr.. T. L. Duncan and four as
sistants all of whom had received
scientific forestry training at
the Minnesota Experiment Sta
tion-to make a survey and ex-
animation of the Pillsbury land;
and Mr.. Duncan't report on the
land and temporary working plan for
its reforestation has just been issued
as a bulletin of information by the
forestry board.
Mr.. Duncan thinks it would be adj
visable to plant over IS per cent of
the whole area rather than wait for
natural regeneration in pine.
Competent judges estimate that in
course of fifteen years the original
pine forests of Minnesota will have
been cut. What immense danger
there would result for the state of
Minnesota. 1t takes on an average
about eighty years for pine to grow
to merchantable size on poor sandy
SOIL. individuals will seldom engage
in raising crops where so much time
is required, and if the supply of cheap
timber is to be maintained the state
will have to undertake the work of
reforestation.
People will naturally ask "Does not
the state of Minnesota already pos
sess considerable. land that it could
use for forestry purposes"
This must be answered in the neg
ative. All of the states land must
be sold at not less than SIS per acre
for the benefit of the public school
fund. If there is pine timber on
any land belonging to the state it
must be sold separately.
1t would not be good economy to
use agricultural land for growing
pine forest. Pine will grow profitably
on sandy, billy or rocky land that
is not useful for cultivation; and it
would be practical forestry for the
state to buy such land which can be
had for a nominal price, and the
Volllszeitung recommends that the
next legislature shall enable the for
estry board to commence buying such
tracts and plant them with coniferous
forest. Friends of forestry should
try and have their members of the
Legislature seasonably pledged to sup
port such project. Forestry has
been talked many years. 1t is time
for action.-Translated from the st.
Paul Valkszeitung.
VIII Remove College.
After two days of animated discus
sion of the question involving the re-
moval of Gustavus Adolphus College
of st. Peter to the Twin Cities, the
Minnesota conference of the Swedish
Augustana synod finally came to a
decision at New London. voting al
most unanimously in favor of re-
moval.
Before the motion was put to "a
vote the resolution adopted the day
before, requiring two-thirds ma
jority to decide the main question,
was rescinded.
After short invocation by DR.. E.
Norelius, the question was put to
vote.
A committee was at once selected
to begin the work of raising the sum
of 100000 from congregations out
side the Twin Cities, in which event
the Twin Cities have pledged them
selves to furnish, in unison with Of
fers by c. A. Smith and J. J. Hill,
the aggregate sum of 100000.
On this committee were placed Rev.
G. Rast of Red Wing, Rev. j. A.
Krantz of Duluth and DR.. A. Lind of
Minneapolis.
Generous Ennpiovar