206 TWENTY-FIRST REPORT. 



free fertilizer, and a frost-proof epiphytic peanut. But, in the meantime, it is 

 too much to insist that he differentiate between agricultural possibilities and 

 economic probabilities? INIight he even be required to demonstrate his thesis 

 by actual accomplishment — accomplishment accompanied by the services of a 

 competent accountant? 



That Michigan, together with the rest of the cut-over land states, has great 

 areas of potential farm land, is past argument. That the development of 

 permanenetly profitable farming is to be encouraged in any manner practicable 

 is a matter of course. But orthodox "agriculture"' is not sacrosanct, and there 

 has been much camouflage among its priests. 



Three items in particular require more attention than has generally been 

 spared them : 



1. The first cost to the settler of logged-off lands. 



2. The cost to the settler of clearing his stump lands. 



3. The final results of farming the logged-off lands, measured in terms 

 of real farms, fair averages, and over respectable periods. 



First cost to the settler is often unreasonably high, because the owners 

 of the cut-over lands are speculating. Acquired originally for their timber and 

 without regard to the intrinsic value of the soil, any land value, per se, has 

 usually been charged off against the stumpage," so that if anything is later 

 realized from the sale of the land, it represents an unearned increment, or is 

 "velvet"' to the owner. The Bureau of Corporations has proven to what an 

 astonishing degree the ownership of our timber lands has fallen into a few 

 hands and its epochal report observes : "When the timber has been cut the 

 land remains. There has been created, therefore, not only the frame work 

 of an enormous timber monopoly, but also an equally sinister land concen- 

 tration." 



Just how this concentration in land ownership has affected Michigan is 

 exhibited in some detail by the same Federal investigation, which shows that 

 a single firm owns 1,473,000 acres in the state (some 250,000 acres of which 

 were derived from agriculutral college scrip and state educational grant lands), 

 while thirty-two owners possess nearly 6,000,000 acres, or about one-sixth of 

 its entire land area." Similar conditions obtain in other states. The results 

 of such a situation as it affects agricultural development are yet to be can- 

 vassed in detail. The general results are obvious enough. It has been 

 suggested that derived difficulties may be remedied through a revision in our 

 taxing methods." 



The cost of clearing stump land has been but little investigated and still 

 less written about, but recent reports show that it can seldom be accomplished 



"Cut-dvcr Land ^fafraziiio, Dec 1918, p. 4; .Ian. 1019, p. IG. 

 ''Lunil)or Industry, 1913, Part I, p. x.\ii. 



'^Bureau of Corporations, "Luml)er Industry," Parts II and III, p. 21.3 and map. 

 I'Howc, "High Cost of Living." 

 Quick, "On Board thp Good Ship Earth." 



