EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS 83 



continued. The department finds its work somewhat seriously handi- 

 capped by the lack of homogenity in the soil of the College farm. For 

 this reason such experiments as depend for their value on the relative- 

 yields of small adjacent areas cannot be wisely tried. 



The endeavor to find other forage crops adapted to the State at large 

 and especially to the wants of the sandy plains of the northern part of 

 the lower peninsula is an important feature of the farm experiments. 



The interest taken by farmers in growing sugar beets called for ex- 

 periments in growing this new crop. Through the generosity of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture at Washington, D. C, the 

 Station received early in March, 1897, a large amount of beet seed, which 

 was distributed to such farmers in the State as applied, promising to 

 give decent care to the growing roots and to report to the Station in 

 the fall, sending samples of their beets for analysis. Time has not al- 

 lowed supervision of these growing plots by someone connected with 

 the Station. For this reason the results, which will be forthcoming after 

 the date of this report, lack the element of certainty that would be theirs 

 could more careful attention be given these widely-scattered plots. Both 

 the methods and design of the experiments in 1897 are largely copied from 

 those successfully adopted in 1891. The wide-spread interest taken in the 

 matter leads us to hope that a goodly number of reports will be received 

 from the seed sent out and the question of the adaptability of Michigan 

 soil and climate to the production of beets rich in sugar may be 

 settled, if the results of the experiments of this year corroborate 

 the work of 1891. When it is remembered that it requires an investment 

 of over 1350,000 to build a factory for the manufacture of sugar from 

 beets, the importance of being able to show by definite data the fact 

 that suitable beets can be grow^n and that the farmers know how to 

 grow them, can be readily appreciated. The first step in the introduction 

 of this new industry is necessarily this comprehensive test of the soil 

 and climate. Moreover, these experiments have a distinct value as 

 educators of the farmer in the method of growing the roots. 



The relation of the Experiment Station to the forestry problems of 

 the State is yet to be established. The first step in the solution of these 

 problems in a scientific manner is to find out somewhat accurately exist- 

 ing conditions. I believe that this may best be done by adopting the 

 plan recently carried out in Wisconsin. An expert from Washington 

 may be induced to survey the possible forest regions of Michigan and 

 report his findings and suggestions to the State government and to the 

 people through a bulletin of the Station. Plans for forestry manage- 

 ment could then be based on substantial foundations. The legislature 

 could determine wisely whether additional tracts should be purchased 

 as an initial step in reforesting denuded areas, or whether some other 

 plan had better be adopted. 



The Station could then begin, or rather carry forward, investigations 

 as to the best species of trees to be recommended for a given locality. It 

 is fair to assume at the outset that the species growing in a given region 

 are the ones well adapted to it. It does not follow because nature has 

 placed certain varieties in certain situations that these same varieties are 

 the ones which will best subserve man's requirements. Nature knows no 

 limit of time in producing her results, while man desires the largest and 

 quickest returns from his investment of labor and material. At best the 

 length of time required in growing a crop of trees is more than a gener- 



