The Detroit times., 1914-02-13
Michigan and Her So
Called Waste Lands
sY LOUIS A. NALL

There are many broad and fertile
acres IN our so.ealled waste lands
an orthern Michigan waiting only for
someone to take the initiative and
subdle The Nilduess and wild growths
and plant Ia useiAi things 10 make
garden spot of wAat are referred to as
worthless plains.
LANDS capable of producing The nm
est fruits. such "a the apple. peach.
cherry, etc. not eXcelled by any rails
ed anywhere In tbo nited states, net
ting returns per acre OF from 5000 10
$500 and up. per season, are not with
out value. They are worthless, though.
/ Il allowed to remain In their present
/ state and worse tnsn worthless unless
strenuous steps are taken by the
authorities 90 stamp out forest fires
which sweep our state from east 10
west every year
few or many printed placards
with lot OF "tonts or Instructions
regarding forest fires will not stop
them. What We need is trained forest
rangers who shall patrol the whole
north country.
Careless campers and sparks from
the railroad locomotives are the
causes OF muca OF the devastation
wrought in our northern country,
Neither cares tor signs tackled on
stumps of trees.
The writer campod one season Ia
northern Canada We were out but a
short time before the FIRE rangers
picked rs up. We were on the move
continually, so had no permanent
camp Whenever we ran across the
rangers they WOULD ask us where we
camped the night before. the night
before that, etc. running us back Of
tentimes whole week. Then they
would back Up on our trail and see
/ II we had PUT out our fires Had they
not found everything satisfactory. IL
would have been the Canadian jail
, for us You can't fool with Canadian
laws
Fertile lands hreswept year after
! year. and year after year, OF course,
become barren and will remain barren
until the state wakes up to the fact
that she must put stop 10 these an.
nual fires
n our township of Whitewater last
year the fire swept all the young
lends set aside by the state for forest
reserve. This fire was started oy
campers along the Boardman river in
I the last days Of april. who were on
+ the ground early. anticipating the
/ opening of the trout season May J.
When this fire reached nv clearing "
was cutting svath through the couh
try six miles wide.
Having a great desire TO see and
make things grow, trained myself
little along horticultural lines putting
\ in seven years ir greenhouse and nur-
sery work. then drifted into the build
ing line. but the desire TO grow things
got the best OF me and hied myself
1 10 the north country.
We had had a tract OF land in Grand
/, Traverse county for number or
i. years. In fact We had II for seven
years before any OF IFS went to see II.
II had 4 bad name. Worthless" and
SO we kept away from IT, Our frst
impression was little more favor
able than we had expected. II proved
10 be high table land and not running
! TO swamp. The more | made study
| OF this land. the more enthused I be
! came. and finally got the fever so
I hard that wound UP my building op-
erations and said goodbye 10 the city
/ life. and went 10 live In the freedom
/ of the open air amid the stumps and
I grubs OF a wild and untamed hut de-
( lightful country
/ Contrary 10 all advice from my
/ friends and the natives Of the country.
! / made up b. mind 70 take the
plunge The one thing that made me
/ decide 10 take ND the work was the
/ ideal climatic conditions which exist
! ed. All other conditions are secon-
! Diary and can be made or controlled
/ by man The land grew trees before,
and they were the best OF the forest
products. and IL will again produce
tree growth reasoned. ] therefore
I decided TO plant trIit trees
After running my survey, | found
my nearest neirhbor TO be two miles
away and that / was half-mile of
the road. the roads running a mile
and half apart started In to clear
up my land, pulling many OF the
stumps and blowing ont the larger
ones with dynamite. All the srubs.
the oaks. etc. were pulled out root
and all. so when 7 finished piece.
the Job was done clean.
I planted out 5000 trees OF apple.
cherry and peach and some OF the
small fruits. 600 gooseberry and Uir-
rant Three Of US campcd out all
summer, doing our own work. cooking
and all. We had a fine summer OF t..
The trees did exceptionally well, and
! am so we'll pleased that ] have or
dered for next springs planting
enough goosebeires TO make full
fve-acre additional patch 70 my pre-
vious planting.
Peal Outinnisf