The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1905-06-09
MINNESOTA FORESTRY.
Synopsis Of the Tenth Annual Report
Of the Chief Fire Warden .5%
of Minnesota. . f.. EN- #

~ AVROAO W tAAV = OAAVAA AAN0 SA0A AVSYNAV
Of the Chief Fire Warden %54
~ ~. Of Minnesota. a. X,
State Capitol, St. Paul, Minf>-The
chief forest fire warden of Minnesota,
Gen. G. G. Andrews, who is now serv'
ing his eleventh year, has just ISIS ned
his tenth annual report, which, like
his previous reports, contains some
general information on forestry and
new illustrations of Minnesota forests.
The following is a review of Gen. An.
drews' report: ' -
Dry weather prevailed in the forest
regions in much Of April and May, 1904.
and some territory had to be patrolled.
Also the month Of November was very
dry and there was not enough SNOWMAN
to prevent fires until November 28th. Ac-
cording to reports of fire wardens the
damage done by forest fires was only $2l,-
go, and by prairie fires only $8,3O5.
The legislature of 1905 much improved
the law for preventing and extinguishing
forest and prairie fires by enacting that
the state shall pay for the service of IRE
wardens and of those who help prevent
and extinguish fires, and collect half from
Tic respective COulCleS III WuACu Viz
pense occurs. This secures certainty OF
pay, which was not the case in few
counties. Accounts before being paid must
be approved by the Chief Fire Warden. :.
The legislature also raised the salary
Of the Chief Fire Warden from $1,000 to
$1,000 a year. The state is great body
polite, worth eight hundred million dol
lars. and its servants should be on a re-
spectacle footing. It lessons the influence
Of an Office II it's pay is relatively SO
small that the public look down upon 1t.
Besides, it Is not sound policy to dis
criminate against forestry. "A IT,
Grant by Congress. ~, X.
BY an act approved April 20, 1904, con-
gress granted to Minnesota 10000 acres
of third or fourth rate land for forestry
purposes in st. Louis county, and distant
about twelve miles west and northwest Of
Ely. They comprise a rugged forest re-
gion in fine lake setting. Most of the
surface is underlaid with granite upon
which the soil is thin. There are hills
eighty feet above the lakes, commanding
q handsome landscape.
As whole the lands are densely COW
cred with thrifty forest from ten to thtr-
ty years of age, of which the prevailing
kind is jack pine, though there are:
groups, but not extensive, Of Norway and
white pine; and good specimens of both
Norway and white Of merclantable size
are found scattered through the woods.
The legislature failed to appropriate any
money, as urged by the Forestry Board.
for a detailed examination and forestry
working plan Of these lands.
Nursery on the Piisbury Reserve.
The report contains illustra tions of the
nursery Of principally spruce seedlings
which the Forestry Board made on tho
Pillsbury donation Of thousand acres,
out of it's small appropriation intended
for Office expenses, it being unable to
procure money for the purpose from the
legislature.
Natural Reforsstation.
The prevention Of forest fires does
much towards natural reforestation, but
not enough in all cases. There are many
bare places in the pine forest regions Of
Northern Minnesota that will never pro-
duce valuable timber without artificial
help. Probably not more than 80 per
cent Of the cut-over and waste lands will
ever become we'll stocked with valuable
timber If nature unaided is depended
upon. Experience abroad confirms this.
Besides, natural forest is seldom IL ever
as well stocked as that which has had
artificial help.r~. A scientific forest Of 4
mixed timber, at the age Of eighty years,
contains about $50 trees to the acre. An
acre Of natural forest of that age would
seldom average half as many.
Why the State Should Own Forest.
Why should the state own forest? Be.
cause on light soil: unfit for agriculture,
1t takes on an average about eighty years
for pine forest to grow to- merchantable
size, and individuals will not engage in
the business on large scale.
The area Of land in Minnesota which
has yielded pine is, in the aggregate, 49,
100000 acres, and it may be assumed
there are at least within this area as
many as 100000 acres Of rocky, hilly,
or sandy land that is unfit for agriculture
and which should be used for forestry.
It may be asked if the state does not
now own enough land? The state of Min
nesota now ewns about 100000 acres
Ct land, given by congress, which by law
an acre, for school and state institution
funds. Besides, the greater part of these
lands is suitable for agriculture. They |
cannot possibly be taken for forestry.
Planting Pine and Spruce on Farms.
Often there is piece of land on farm
that can be utilized in growing pine and !
spruce timber. On fairly good soil and in |
sheltered situations the white pine (Pinus
strobus), a favorite tree, will grow to |
size in from thirty to forty
years. Such piece of timber would not
)nly yield good money return, but would
end beauty to the farm
To raise such timber on prairie land
t is absolutely necessary to grow g. wind
freak on the south, west and north sides.
IN these sides a strip Of land about ten
eet wide should be cultivated two years
md then two rows. eight feet apart, Of
Golden willow should be planted, which
an be done either by planting small
rees, which is preferable, or by planting
cuttings. Evergreens also make good
"a''s' .>'> - ''!% '''
When the trees composing the wind
freak are cwo years old one can begin
Wanting the pine and spruce II the land
n which the planting il to be done is
ot too rocky or hilly it should first be
lowed and cultivated, and even after
lanting Is done cultivation should be
ontinued long enough to keep down
veeds until the plants reach such size
hat their shade will be sufficient to sup
ress weed growth. If the ground is