The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-26

81 --SnL !. Fl.
read at the afternoon session. DR.. F.
Roth of the College of Forestry, Ann Ar
Dor, Mich, spoke son Z Possibilities and.
Methods of REPRESENTATION, in the White
Pine Belt Briefly, he said:
Our methods of using the pine forests
have left us large areas of denuded lands,
considerable portions of which are in a
burned or fire SCARED waste-land cond1-
tion Reforestration concerns itself with
putting these unproductive non-agricul-s
tural lands back into q productive condi
ton. Census figures on settlement and
improved lands indicate that the sandy
lands In our lake states, formerly ptnery
and now largely waste lands have re-
manned unsettled, that, for instance, the
state of Michigan has sixteen counties in
the southern peninsula which average but
6 per cent Of improved land. The same
census reports show that the older states,
too. have their waste lands, that Maine
has still SO per, cent Of her lands not
titled: Pennsylvania, 80 per cent; Vir-
ginta, 81 per cent, and even Massachu-
setts, II per cent. The. experience of
Europe extending back for centuries. fully,
corroborates the general truth that there
are few countries but have large pro-
portion OF land unfit for agriculture. In
recent years the states of New York,
/
consin have decided. tor abandon the policy
of getting rid Of tax title and other state
lands, and to take the poor lands of the
state and improves them along forestry
lines. In ONT wisree pmssBalt there is.
much Of this work 10 he done. 4. AS to
methods, there are Aaanye,s Wherever a.
growth Of young trees exists it may often
be best merely to protect and wait 9and
let nature do the work In many cases
| this will be #too slow; fires have cleaned
up completely; there are no trees to pro
duce Seed and the young tree growthyh has
all disappeared. In such cases replanting
will be economy. Among the trees til
plant, the native trees, white pine, Nor
way and jack pine will deserve fist
choice, but others may be tried. Plant
ing from nurseries kept right on the
ground will probably be the cheapest
method in the end. What this leads to
may be summed up briefly: It will mean
millions Of acres Of productive woods
where now there is nothing but unproduc-
tive waste; it will mean permanent mills
and factories employment for permanent
people (not nomads), and a sorely needed
home supply of one Of the most rleces-
sary products used in civilized life; w
Future of Federal Reserves.
Edward A. Bowers, secretary of the as
ISOLATION, spoke on THE Future of the
National Forest Reserves" Mr.. Bowers
said:
1.-THE future of the federal forest res
fervations will be assured when there is
a better understanding among the people
generally of the purposes Of their crea-
ton than existed at the outset Of the
movement The idea that these reserva-
4 tions are to be used for the national good
will steadily gain them friends. Now the
idea is too generally. prevalent that these
| reservations are parks for the pleasure
Of the people and for the protection OF
lgame. These are only incidental advan-
/ tages
irrigation now being. SO largely under
taken by the federal government, viii
/ certainly be a most powerful ally in main
tanning and extending the reserved forest
areas of the general government. These
reservations, as they are gradually de-
Eyeloped by means. Of Typographical, sur
veys, roads and systematic cutting, will
show the people what a rational fores
iEpolicy is In this way these reservations
will be particularly useful in instructng
states and individuals in the management
Of their forest properties; thus in due
time we may reasonably hope to see sys-
tematic forest management extend ovel
the whole Of the United States, taking
the place of the Wasteful, careless anG
7 destructive methods now prevailing In the
utilizing of our forest resources. . y
Professor Fernow's Paper.
A paper on Needs of the Hour was
read by Professor 3, p. FernoW Of Cor.
i The speaker referred to the fact that
4 the Forestry association met in the twir
city of st. Paul just twenty years age
for Its third meeting. He reviewed briefly
the changes that had taken place since
that time both in regard to consumption
and supply Of forest products and in re-
gard to the progress of the forestry move
ment.
4 From the census statistics it;Would ap.
/ pear that the timber industry in these
twenty years had more than trebled In
the capital employed, namely, to- over
$500, 900, and thez value. as well as the
amount of product had more than doubled
. while the population had Increased little
! over SO per cent. In other words, the
tendency is to constantly increase the use
of wood, and the drafts on our timber re-
i sources in excess of increase in popula-
i ton; the danger of exhausting our TIM
4 Der supplies before they can be replaced
4 Is Infinitely greater now than It was
.ftWenty years ago, hence the efforts to
i secure their replacement must be also
llmuch greater.
The need Of the hour is the realization
i by legislatures and officials of the imme-
Tdiate seriousness Of the situation, the es-
Enlistment of well organized forestry bu-
i reaus in each state conducted by profess
4 sional foresters, and, above ALL an eff
slcient fire police.
To this end the association should have
/ a carefully chosen committee which should
i be ready to actively assist the state au-
i thorities in formulating adequate legis-
lation.
In his remarks the speaker referred to
the collapse Of the college of forestry at
/ Cornell university as an example of the