The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-04-28
Forestry Possibilities m Michigan.
BY Hon. Charles W Garfield President Michigan
Forestry Commission.

BY Hon Charles W GARFIELD, President Michigan
! Forestry Commission.
In the utteranceS of men who have
| given a great deal of attention to the
! literature of photography, many
things have been dogmatically stated
concerning the relationship of forest
cover to meteorological conditions,
and many of these statements have
not found support in facts. As the
result of some of these misstatements,
or rather, this carelessness of state
ment, a great many people have fallen
into the habit of distrusting the opin-
! ions of meteorologists as to the intlu-
ence of forest growth upon climatic
conditions. While it may be impos-
/ sible to prove that a reasona bic proper
ton of forest cover is necessary to
prevent the conversion of agricultural
country into an arid region because of
diminishing RAINFALL it is perfectly
demonstrable that woodland areas eX-
erCise indirectly a very important in
! tluence upon the conditions that pro-
mote agricultural welfare. 1t is also
entirely clear that reasonable amount
of country tributary to river beds, if
maintained in forest growth, holds
back water from rapidly seeking the
great reservoirs, and thus a more even
flow is maintained throughout the
year.
Another important argument III
favor of maintaining a considerable
proportion of the country in forest
growth lies in the fact that great in
dustries in our state are entirely sup
ported by the raw material which is
obtained from the forest. As this
material is diminished i'll quantity and
consequently becomes more difficult
to secure and more expensive, there
is a striking tendency for these manu-
featuring industries to decrease the
volume of their business, and even to
leave our borders and seek locations
nearer to their source of supply.
In support to these reasons for pro-
noting forestry we cannot expect TO
call successfully to our assistance
small holders of land, and hence the
responsibility of the state in promot-
ing forestry upon its vast holdings be-
comes a matter of very serious inn
port. In the course of years this vast
domain, now amounting 70 perhaps
q, 100000 acres, and which has come
into the hands of the state as a result Of
delinquency in taxes, has become less
important as an agricultural asset be-
cause the very best agricultural lands
have been gradually sifted out, and
substitution made of lands which
have been found to be of insufficient
value to warrant men in purchasing
them for the pursuit of the ordinary
! lines of agricultural development.
Forest trees of some kind will success
! fully grow upon all these lands. Not
an acre but can be utilized in the
growth of some kind of timber which
| has value i'll arts and manufactures.
Progress III forestry has shown that
in many lines timber can be grown
within a generation for harvest of
very valuable material. Scarcely any
of these lands but that are adapted TO
the growing of one or more of these
valuable timber products. In consid-
ering a very large proportion of thes e
lands, all the state will have TO do to
develop valuable forest cover will
be TO keep out the fires and prevent
trespaSs.
The incidental advantages which
would accrue to the state as a result
of strong movement TO make invest
ments of this character would be
greater than those which would result
from any possible utilization of these
thinner lands of the state along the
lines of agriculture. In advocating
the advantages of our state. we
emphasize very strongly the diversity
of our industries. In urging the at
tention Of those having in charge the
state affairs, TO give attention to the
possibilities of reforestation, | am
having in mind the maintenance of
this diversity which is our most inn
portant advertisement. At the same
time l am not unmindful of a very
practical ultimatum in connection
with our state government; for il is
perfectly evident 20 any one who will
give thought TO the details of this
plan that the income from these same
despised lands under a rational
forestry system in from soto IS years,
will be sufficient TO meet the running
expenses of the state, even with the
phenomenal growth which our advan-
tages entitle us to enjoy.
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