Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-03-12

TUG 'oloWlng paragraph:
l am rather surprised at
your statement in regard to
Mr.. Fairchild's article on Wis
consln and particularly with
reference to the forest FIRE
article. THIS WAS SECURED
FROM Mr.. GRIFFITH, THE
STATE FORESTER. by Mr.. Fair
child and was simply publish
ed as news matterand not in
any sense to nislead the people
or harm the state of Wiscon-
sin"
Doubtless you are as familiar
as | am with the fact that for a
number of years apparently
under the stimulous of the people
who wrote lurid articles on con-
servation, there has been in the
eastern magazines number of
articles in which such erroneous
statements have been made as
appear in the above quoted para
graphs. | believe that it is
reasonable to charge that all of
this Objectionable matter has
been inspired by the State For
ester as 1T is in line with his fire.
quent statements.
In reply to yourrequest for nav
estimate of lands in Villas and
Oneida counties that is suited to
agriculture, would say that that
is a very difficult question to
answer even approximately.
1t would be my Judgment that at
least forty percent and probably
sixty percent of the lands in
Villas county are suited to agri-
culture, although of course, 1
would not say that all this land
was suited to the same class of
farming. What | mean is that |
believe that at least that per
centage of the lands will produce
attractive returns when applied
to the type Of farming to which
they are best suited. | have no
doubt that the above figures
could be materially increased. In
a map gotten out by Profs. A. r.
Whitson and S. Weidman several
years ago. we find that % to 35
percent OF the lands of Villas
county and 80 to 40 percent of
the lands of Oneida county will
probably finally be improved. |
believe if these authorities were
to pass upon thequestion at this
time, they would place the figures
practically where l have placed
them in the above paragraph.
Now as to the policy of having
our state forestry allin one great
area in few counties in your
locality, it seems to me that that
is an entirely erroneous idea. We
know that there are considerable
areas in various parts of the
state that are as we'll suited to
growing timber as your region
and less suited to the produc-
ton of food stuffs. From this
standpoint, it ought to be sug-
gestive to the forestry depart
ment that it would be well to
have more than one forest area.
Then too, from the standpoint OF
fire hazard. it would in my Judg-
nent be much better to have our
forest areas distributed than to
have them all in one tract.
1t is mighty pleasing to be as
sured bv the forestry force that
their trails, telephone lines and
lookouts give assurance from I'M
munity from destruction by fire,
but it would be more satisfactory
to me if here was an insurance
policy connected with this assur-
ance.
lam so accustomed to the ex-
travagant statements OF the
state forester, that | am inclined
to analyze his statements. For
instance, few years ago he as
sured me that the slash resulting
from numbering in Wisconsin
could be cut, piled and punched
at a cost of 25c for the slash re-
su!ting from each 1000 feet OF
II L.: 4o+a,,antc re