FORTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT. 47 



1800 showed there were only 3,757 in the territory which now consti- 

 tntes this State. 



While it is true that the. population of the State increased somewhat 

 slowly, it is also true that from the day the white man first landed 

 on the shores of this State, he has kept up a relentless war against the 

 trees as if they were his enemies, until the splendid black walnut, oak, 

 hickor}^ and white ash forests are only remembered by some of the older 

 people of the State, There was some excuse for part of the destruction 

 of the forests of southern Michigan, for they had to give way to the 

 wheat fields which produced food for the settlers of that time. That, 

 however, is not true of the northern jiart of this commonwealth. The/ 

 history of Michigan dating back seventy years discloses the fact that 

 when the white pine of Maine, New York and Pennsylvania had practic- 

 ally vanished, the sturd}' lumberman followed this desirable timber into 

 the lake region of the north, and before the people were hardly aware 

 of the fact Michigan's lands were in the hands of private individuals 

 and her vast forests were fast being converted into lumber. Not alone 

 was the choicest lumber cut, but fire way allowed to sweejj over these 

 great cuttings, destroying the young timber which was left standing 

 and the seed cones which would have ])roduced another crop of trees. 

 On the heels of this great devastation the holders of these large tracts 

 of land refused to pay their taxes when the tiud)er had once been re- 

 moved from the land. 



This was practically the condition that existed in Michigan when 

 your Society sounded the alarm and tried to call to arms thinking 

 men in the defense of the forests of tliis State. As early as 1866 I find 

 some of the gentlemen whose names 1 have mentioned sending a com- 

 munication to the Michigan legislature on the subject of ''the injurious 

 destruction of forest trees in this State, the im]K)rtance of checking 

 this evil and the expendiency of planting trees as a means of shelter and 

 protection to crops, fruit trees, etc." I find thatUiemorial submitted 

 to a committee composed of Dr. U. C. Kedzie, J. J. Woodnuiu and O. 

 H. Fellows. 1 have read the rei)ort of that committee with a good 

 deal of interest, and in the light of present day affairs 1 am surprised 

 at the foresight displayed in the recommendations made by these gentle- 

 men. The rei)ort made by the committee bore fruit and two bills were 

 introduced in the Michigan State legislature and enacted into laws: 

 one providing for the planting of trees and shrubs along the highways 

 of the State of Michigan, and the other to prohibit animals that would 

 destroy the trees from running at large on the highways. These two 

 acts were approved on the same da}- — March 27, 1867. 



From time to time matters atfecting forestry were discussed by the 

 difterent societies, but no definite action was taken until the winter 

 of 1878, when the State Pomological Society, at its meeting in Allegan, 

 petitioned Congress to send a commission abroad to inquire into the 

 methods pursued in England and on the Continent to grow forests and 

 preserve those already grown. For some reason best known to the 

 members of that dignified body. Congress did not seem to take kindly 

 to the suggestions made hj the petitioners and at the summer meeting 

 of your Society, held in Jackson in June, you again took up the matter 



