STATE FORESTRY CONVENTION. 213 



at as being a scheme to further the purposes of a few speculators. But the 

 reserve being at the head waters of some of her main rivers, it is not difficult 

 now to estimate somewhat the immense value it is becoming to the State. 



Such a reservation would give us data as to facts of tree culture and forest 

 influence that we could not otherwise get. It would enable the State to test 

 these questions on'a scale of such magnitude as to be of great value. 



A letter was read from Mr. A. J. Daniels, concerning 



ECONOMY IN THE USE OF TIMBER, 



in which he took the ground that true economy lay in using mature timber 

 as rapidly as there was a demand for it. He was sorry to see so much 

 valuable wood burned in clearing, when so many were in need of it in our 

 large towns, and if some economist would show some fairly profitable method 

 of utilizing it, none would more quickly adopt it than the men who do the 

 burning, for they need the money. 



In conclusion he said: "It seems to me to be true economy to cut all that 

 is necessary to supply the demand, to make that demand as great as possible 

 by inventing methods of using at a profit much of that which is now burned 

 as refuse, and — shall I dare to say? — to cut off and burn it when it cannot be 

 profitably marketed, if the soil is needed for farming purposes." 



After passing a hearty vote of thanks to the Grand Rapids Board of Trade 

 for courtesies rendered the convention, the deliberations were closed. 



An evening was devoted to an ideal Arbor Day exercise under the manage- 

 ment of teachers in the city schools, in which a large number of children 

 participated. This exercise was so delightful that it was published by the 

 State Agricultural College as a bulletin, for which there was a great demand, 

 and afterward republished by the agricultural press of the country. This 

 bulletin appears in the volume of the Michigan Board of Agriculture for 

 1888. This first convention in the interest of forestry in Michigan has seemed 

 to give an impetus to thought and discussion upon forestry topics very profit- 

 able to our State, and is perhaps more effective than legislative enactment in 

 educating the people towards a truer economy in the management of our tree 

 wealth, but it must be remembered that legislative enactment really pro- 

 vided for this convention. 



