The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1907-12-28
'REFORESTINC MOVE
IS GROWING DAILY
CORPORATIONS ARE PLANTING
TREES ON CUT OVER LANDS.
NORTHWESTERN WILL TRY II
Big Railway Company Has Decided Il
plant a Large Tract in the Upper
Peninsula.

The reforesting movement is grow
ing every day. Ever since the atten-
tion of the timber users was drawn TO
the fact that our timber supply is
dwindling at An enormous rate, there
has been move on foot TO replant the
tracts cleared.
The Cleveland Cliffs Iron Go. was
the first TO move and now the q. a. N.
W. railway company has taken mp the
work and propose to plant a large tract
OF its land in this peninsula In re-
gard to tihs propose move the Mining
Journal has the following
The Chicago 81 Northwestern Rail.
way company has withdrawn all OF its
timbered land in Wisconsin and North
ern Michigan from the market, and
will use them for the growth OF tie
and bridge timber for it's I, 500 miles
of track, following the example OF the
Cleveand Cliffs Iron company, which is
Systematically reforesting it's more than
l 900. 600 acres in the upper peninsula.
Concerning the Intention OF the com
pany, q. II. Kelsey. formerly of Mar
quette, writes The Mining Journal
from Milwaukee that the Northwestern
has upward of 25O. 900 acres in the
upper peninsula and i5O 900 acres in
Northern Wisconsin, and that not an
acre will be sold at any price The
cutting will be done scientifically and
the underbrush and refuse cleared
away. Trees will then be planted
which will make good tie timber, the
planting being done on plan approved
by Clifford Pichot, head of the United
States forestry department. Cedar,
hemlock, tamarack. oak. maple and
elm will be- used for ties, all being
treated with the creosote. preservative
process az the company's great plant
at Escanaba.
In the time near at hand the com
pany sees great demand for tie timber
by the railroads of the United States.
It figures. by reserving its forest lands
from the market, TO supply all its needs
in coming years for its great system
and TO obtain much OF it's bridge tim
ber from the same source. The Cleve-
land Cliffs company has been engaged
in the work Of reforestation on the
largest scale yet attempted in this coun
try by any corporation or private own
er. It's figured that in twenty five
years the company will have it's money
back with 4 per cent interest and in
fifty years it win have its investment
more than quadrupled.
The success of this company makes
the Northwestern 8 attempt a certainty
from the start and will give to the up
per peninsula of Michigan the reputa-
tion of having the two largest forest
reserves maintained on the continent by
private or corporate enterprise. It's
meaning to the peninsula can be un-
dertood from the fact that the North
western alone owns more land in Delta
Marquette Alger and Schoolcraft
counties than is now under cultivation
in the entire upper peninsula. Leo.
M Gi.smar superintendent Of the mp
per peninsula agricultural experiment
station. Chatham, Alger county. figures
the farm area of the peninsula at 235, :
PAT acres, or 2 per cent of the total
area. while the acreage under cultiva-
tion in the lower peninsula is 80 per
cent of the total area.
The maintenance of these two grea {
forest reserves In the upper peninsula
means q steady industry for future
years. as the companies will conserve
the native forest wealth and add 10 10
by constant replanting. putting . stop
TO the rayages OF forest hrss which
leave the land barren waste and Civ.
ing an example which will undoubted-
ly be followed In the restoration Of
some OF the immense pine barrens OF
the. lower peninsula
Other railroad companies have turn
ed their attention to the growth OF tie
timber, notably the Illinois Central.
which has planted catalpas along its
right-of- way from Chicago to New
Orleans; but the Northwestern Is the
first to see the value OF It's remaining
timber holdings and TO Withdraw them
from the market as constant source
of timber suppily for future years