50 THE MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



has been recommended, what will become of them, and in what way 

 will the conversion of millions of acres of these lands into sheep desert, 

 after the form of the Luneberger Heide or the ranges of Utah and 

 AVyoming, — in what way, I ask, will that help the State? Is this the 

 upbuilding of Michigan? Is this the great development we hear of? 

 To make a range of 100,000 acres support in labor a poor herder or two, 

 in improvements a few sheep sheds, and produce a crop of a few tons 

 of wool and mutton. And is this the way w^e benefit our clinuite and 

 make Michigan more hospitable? 



The fourth argument is sound. The State shouki not reduce the in- 

 come of a town and county to a point where it becomes impossible for 

 a few pioneer settlers to maintain school and road and furnish protec- 

 tion to life and property, the things which the State expects of those 

 few scattered people. If European states and if New York can pay 

 taxes on forest reserves, surely Michigan can do something too. 



And now, what next? The people of the State should know about 

 this and express their wishes in the matter. If the friends of forestry 

 are right, there should be no further waste of the second greatest asset 

 of the peoi)le, there should be no more selling of lands at prices as here- 

 tofore. A proper minimium should be set on these lands, and this ought 

 to be at least half that asked by Wyoming, Montana and Washington 

 for arid lands remote from the market and with scant and costly means 

 of transportation. The tax title should be made good. But above all, 

 the State should protect these lands against fire and vandal and give 

 the young stutT which is now there and w^hich may spring up in the 

 future a chance to groAV into something, to help replace the timber we 

 so sorely need. In addition, the State should improve, these lands as 

 fast as it feels able. 



One word in conclusion. All this is not new. It is no experiment. 

 New York and Pennsylvania are not only holding their lands but buying 

 lands of this kind. Our neighbor state of Wisconsin has set aside all 

 state lands as reserve, and a thousand years of experience in Germany, 

 and Switzerland and France has proven this to be right and based on 

 sane, safe business principles. The thing is good, and it pays, and there 

 is today before the people of Michigan an opportunity to increase the 

 income of the people by millions of dollars, not for one year or few 

 years, but for centuries, nay for all times, as long as our land and our 

 people are together. 

 FiLiBERT Roth, Professor of Forestry, 

 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 



