WORK OF THE MINNESOTA FOREST 

 SCHOOL AT ITASCA PARK 



T 



BY 



E. G. Cheyney, Assistant Professor of Forestry, University of Minnesota 



HE 1907 legislature of Minnesota south end of the West Arm for a few- 

 showed its belief in the usefulness rods, one gets a beautiful view of Elk 

 and the future development of forestry Lake, the great pike lake of the park, 

 by providing the State Forestry School and more especially noted for the beau- 

 with an ideal tract of forest as a dem- tiful springs which flow into it — a 

 onstration ground. This was accom- stream three inches in diameter/ 

 plished by transferring Itasca State charged heavily with bicarbonate of 

 Park from the control of a special iron. This, together with Itasca, is 

 committee to that of the State Fores- the only lake easily accessible from the 

 try Board, where it naturally belonged. Lodge, and consequently is the best 

 and at the same time granting to the known and most frequently visited, 

 board of regents of the University per- There are, however, several others 

 mission to establish thereon a demon- back further in the woods quite as 

 stration school of forestry. large and even more attractive. 



Itasca Park, situated in the beauti- Along the shores of these numerous 



ful lake region of Minnesota, and en- lakes, on the ridges and in the valleys 



closing the headwaters of the Missis- between them, are found every type of 



sippi, is about as nearly an ideal spot forest peculiar to the northern woods 



for such a purpose as could be found — • of the Lake States — white and Nor- 



still perfectly wild, with the forest and way pine mixtures on the ridges, jack 



all its denizens in the primeval state, pine on the pure sand patches, spruce 



and yet near enough to civilization to and balsam in the drier swamps, tam- 



be fairly accessible. These are the na- arac and cedar in the moister locations, 



tural factors necessary to success. hardwoods where the quality of the 



The general shape of the park is a soil will support them. The opportu- 



rectangle, stretching five miles east nities for the study of all kinds of sil- 



and west, and seven miles from north vicultural and managerial problems 



to south. Within this area are in- are almost unlimited, 

 eluded something like three hundred Besides these natural advantages, 



lakes, of all sizes and descriptions, ^-jan has put in some improvements 



Most of them are too small to deserve ^^hich will help in the establishment of 



the name, but there are a few good ^ school. At the south end of the 



sized and beautiful lakes. £ast Arm of Lake Itasca the State 



The largest and most important of has built a large, two-story log struc- 

 these is Itasca itself, with its three ture, forty by eighty feet, of peeled 

 arms spreading north, east and west ; and oiled Norways, which is known as 

 the shore in many places running up Douglas Lodge and is used as a sum- 

 abruptly into high, heavily timbered mer hotel. It stands in a thick grove 

 hills, in others sinking away into wav- of five log Norways on the edge of a 

 ing grass marshes, or bright tamarac steep bank some fifty feet above the 

 swamps. Countless springs pour their Lake. This ofifers an opportunity of 

 waters into this lake and from the end comfortably housing the students en- 

 of the North Arm, through a screen of gaged in seeding and planting work, 

 reeds, which renders the opening al- laefore the summer season opens and 

 most invisible, flows the modest be- before camp life in this neighborhood 

 ginning of the Father of Waters. is very pleasant. 



Ascending a narrow creek at the Three miles north of the Lodge, on 



