MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 205 



stumps decay, may be rapidly and cheaply reclaimed for grazing and crop 

 growing." '" 



"A larger portion of the sand lands of the state will undoubtedly be 

 utilized than is at present anticipated. For this purpose, fruit growing is 

 being restorted to where conditions are peculiai'ly suitable. These very light 

 lands, instead of being farmed intensively in small areas, will some day 

 undoubtedly be operated in large tracts and utilized for grazing purposes, when 

 proper methods of handling, seeding and improvement are solved, which they 

 surely will be * * * " " 



"The sandy jack-pine plains of the lake states have long been an agri- 

 cultural problem. * * * More people have left these lands during the last 

 thirty years than are now living on them. * * * xhe problem has been 

 whether these lands could ever be farmed profitably or whether they had not 

 best be used for forestry purposes. The successes of numerous farmers in 

 growing clover * * * on these lands indicate that a solution has at last 

 been found. * * * This is a most fortunate circumstance. With clover 

 for a start, either for seed or forage, the land can soon be built up into almost 

 any state of productiveness." " 



"The soils of upper Wisconsin are nearly all highly productive. There is 

 variation in soil and subsoil, it is true, and there are portions which are not 

 productive * * * but these occupy relatively small areas * * * pqj. 

 the average farmer, land that cannot be made to support good pasture in an 

 ordinary season has a lower agricultural value than that upon which the 

 maintenance of pasture is no problem. If the tract consists of coarse sandy 

 soil, with a sand subsoil, difficulty will be found in getting and maintaining 

 good pasture * * * Grass grown in the shade of brush furnishes very 

 little nourishment to cattle, but sheep can get something out of it and pave 

 the way for the dairy cow * * * While it may not be possible to make 

 pork in upper Wisconsin as cheaply from October to April as during the 

 summer months, the man who has not tested the value of roots, vegetables, 

 clover, skim-milk and home-grown grain cannot tell today what the difference 

 would be." " 



One may not cavil at such offerings on the grounds that they are actually 

 untrue or cannot become true with time, nor if they are offered with a view 

 to mitigating the condition of the unfortunates who have guessed wrongly, or 

 who have been deceived as to soil or climate or market. The development of 

 agricultural technique has been real and very rapid, and it is idle to define its 

 future limits. Considering tlie prehistoric accomplishments of the Peruvians 

 or current farm practice in China, one might as well admit anything as pos- 

 sible for a modern agronomist. He may even be able to devise jitney plows. 



"What of the pine lands? 



"M. A. C. Special Bull. 70, 1914, p. 9. 



"U. S. D. A. Farmer's Bulletin 323, 1908, p. 5. 



"Wis. Dept. Ag. Bull. 290, 1918, pp. 6, 9, 29. 



