FARMERS' INSTITUTES. t-y 



PROVIDE FOR THE APPOINTMENT OP A FORESTRY COMMISSION 



which shall be instructed to make a thorough investigation of the condi- 

 tions existing in this State; taking into consideration the lands belonging 

 to the State known as the State tax lands or those which have reverted 

 to the State for the non-payment of taxes, and report to the next legisla- 

 ture a plan of a permanent forest policy. This plan is safe, business like, 

 and would tend to avoid expensive mistakes — and much better than 

 adopting a plan copied from some other state, but which might not be 

 suited to the conditions which exist in this State. 



As a suggestion for the location of State forests I mention three desir- 

 able locations where reservations of 40,000 acres each can be easily 

 secured and which are in every sense desirable locations. The first is in 

 Roscommon county, taking in Houghton and Higgins lakes, and the 

 sources of tlie Muskegon, Titibaw\assee, and Rifle rivers. The second in 

 Otsego county, covering the sources of the Manistee, Au Sable, and the 

 streams that flow northw^ard. The third in the upper peninsula, covering 

 the highlands which are the sources of the numerous streams which flow 

 north to Lake Superior, and south to Lake Michigan, 



A permanent forest policy should also include the encouragement of 

 private forests and tree planting on all farms in order that every square 

 mile shall have the benefit of forest protection. 



DISCUSSION. 

 A. P. GRAY, GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY. 



They that are sick need a physician, bnt we in Grand Travei'se "county have not 

 many of the diseases mentioned this afternoon. Wo intend to prevent the cominsj 

 of these diseases by wind b'-oaks and hv fcedino- balancpd rMtion« to thr- ti-ees. 'n 

 northern Ohio people felt that they could not raise apples profitably. The troultlo 

 was that when intervals between profitable crops grew lonoer they stopped carins: 

 for their orchards. Apples can be made profitable by .?ood care. 



This care shoidd be directed in the first place towards preventing exhaustion of 

 the tree in ripening unnecessary seeds. Thin mercilessly when the trees are over- 

 loaded. If three apples "are left where but one ought to grow, you exhaust the 

 tree and soil thi*ee times as fast as you ought. There ought to be no off yeai's, but 

 a crop every year. This is made possible by thinning. "Wind breaks save the 

 injiu-y to trees. 



J. N. STEARNS, KALAMAZOO COUNTY. 



On the road between Kalamazoo and South Haven there is a strip of most excel- 

 lent land. Along this road there used to be good crops of apples. "Why not now? 

 Simply because farmers have grown other crops in the orchard to exhaust the soil 

 and have neglected the orchards. They have neither pruned nor cultivated nor 

 fertilized nor sprayed. 



The danger of an excessive develoi)ment of blossoms and excessive fei'tilizatioit 

 of these flowers points out the reason for pruning. Therefore prune severely. 

 One orchard between Kalamazoo and South Haven bore a good crop of fruit aiid 

 became thrifty because the owner trimmed it thoroughly, thereby concentrating 

 the vitality into the remaining blossoms. 



No fertilizers had been applied to the orchards between Kalamazoo and Souili 

 Haven, yet wood ashes were available. In fact, one fai-mer whose orchard sorely 

 needed this fertilizer sold his wood ashes at a low price. 



Q. "What crop should be grown in the orchard the first four years? 



R. Morrill: Men usually seem to try to see how much they can get out of the 

 soil of the orchard. This is a serious mistake if carried too far. For two or three 

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