The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-26
FoR[STERS
TELL WHAT STATE
DOES FOR FORESTRY
American Association Opens Its
Annual Session In Minneapo-
Iis--LiveIy Discussion Takes
Place Over Arabic Qualities of
Jack and Norway Pine Lands.

The American Forestry association
began it's annual convention in Mime
apolis yesterday forenoon. Secretary OF
Agriculture Wilson had not yet ar
rived, and the first session was called
to order by DR.. B. e. Fernow, of the
Cornell forestry school. Edwin Bow
ers, of New Haven, Conn, acted as sec
rotary. Gen. C. C. Andrews, Minnesota
fire warden, gave an address of well
come.
w. B. Douglas, attorney general of
Minnesota, followed with an address in
which he outlined what the state had
done for forestry in the establishment
and maintenance Of the 1tasca state
park.
H. H. Chapman, superintendent OF
the experiment station at Grand Rap
ids, Mimi, discussed 1.-The Effect of the
Chippewa Forest Reserve on the Lo-
cality" There was a lively discussion
over Mr.. Chapman's assertion that jack
and Norway pine lands are not fit for
farming.
DR.. Filibert Roth, of the University
of Michigan College of Forestry, and
A G. Bernard, of Cass Lake, Mimi,
participated in the debate.
DR.. G.. Alvin Schenek, forester of the
Vanderbilt estate at Biltmore, de-
scribed the financial result of the ex-
perimentS.
In the afternoon Edwin A. Wildey, of
the Michigan forestry commission, gave
an account of it's work.
S. E. Green, professor of forestry,
university of Minnesota, discussed for
estry education in agricultural colleges.
Ernest Bruncken, late of the Wiscon-
sin forestry commission, discussed
Taxation and Private Forestry"
Gen. Andrews Speaks.
In his address of welcome, Gen. c. G.
Andrews, chief warden Of Minnesota.
said:
Most of the remaining pine timber
and chief wealth of the Chippewa In
dams on reservations at the sources OF
the Mississippi is about to be cut, and
230 900 acres, after 95 per cent OF the
pine has been cut. will become a forest
reserve.
Last year the interior department
temporarily withdrew from the market
about 100000 acres of land in Cook
and Lake counties, Minnesota, as the
Lake Superior forest reserve. Some OF
the land has an elevation of 1920 feet
above the sea. The soil is considered
third or fourth-rate. rather rocky and
timbered mostly with spruce. jack pine,
balsam, white birch and poplar. Sa
1T is a region of fine scenery. rich IN
beautiful lakes and streams, and bet
ter adapted for forestry purposes than
for agriculture It is understood that a
future examination of the land by the
United States bureau Of forestry will
determine whether 1t shall be perma-
nentIy created as forest reserve. II
it be not made forest reserve, the
best tracts of timber will be taken I'M
der the stone and timber law at $500
per acre, or under the homestead law
(by false affidavits), at $1.25 per acre,
and sold to logging companies at a big
profit.
'The stone and timber act Of con-
gress, under which the most valuable
tracts of timber have for years been,
and are now, being obtained from the
United States at $3.50 per acre, was
cunningly devised for the benefit Of
the spectators. No member of con-
gress should be content to let the law
remain in force.
"Valuable timber is being constantly
obtained fraudulently under the home
stead law. To remedy these evils the
remaining public timber on non-agri-
cultural lands should be constituted
forest reserves and administered on
forestry principles. The forest reserve
law provides for the disposal of timber
at it's estimated value. and it donates
timber to a miner in developing his
mine. 1t is a good law for the public.
Dul lOL lOf Tie SpSCutdtOl.
Teaching of Forestry.
S. B. Green, professor of horticul-
ture and forestry in the University of
Minnesota, discussed the subject of
forestry Education in Agricultural
Colleges He said in part:
1T seems to me that it is the duty Of
our agricultural colleges to teach for
estry, for they are better fitted to do
SO than any other class of educational
institutions and can add it to their
curriculum with less expense Not
only should they aim to give their
students a general knowledge of this
subject, but they should offer enough
special training in it to make good
practical foresters.
These colleges now aim to train
men to see the possibilities of rural
life, and the forester needs much the
same training, for he will probably
spend his life in rural communities,
where he will be thrown largely on
his own resources in dealing with a
thousand natural problems at first
hand. He will have charge, perhaps,
of a forest that contains a consider
able amount of farm or pasture lands,
and he should understand the best
method of developing it. He may have
problems in feeding range cattle and
sheep. and, perhaps, in finishing them
in order to get the best returns from
his land; and he will be the best for
ester who is most versatile in such
| matters and able to turn his attention
effectively from one thing to another.
This can only be done to the best ad-
vantage by the broadly trained man."
Poor System of Taxing Timber.
Ernest Bruncken, late of the Wiscon-
sin forestry commission, in his paper
on Taxation and Private Forestry
contended that the prevailing practice
of taxing all merchantable timber an
| nually, regardless of whether it was
to be harvested during the current