''2 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



I will not attempt to discuss the question of the absolute necessity i»f 

 forests to a country. This should be apparent to every one — we should 

 profit by the experience of the older nations of Europe, who, for soli 

 preservation, were years ago obliged to take measures to preserve forests 

 and reforest waste places. 



SOME forp::st laws in Europe. 



In Austria the forest laws prescribe and control not only the culture 

 of the forests belonging to the imperial domain, but also of all the wood- 

 lands which are the property of municipalities, private corporations, and 

 private individuals. The net revenue from state forests is 400,000 florins 

 annually. 



The area of German forests is one-fourth the area of the empire; and tlie 

 net revenue is nearly twenty-four millions of dollars. Germany has an 

 area about four times that of Michigan, and has a population of nearlv 

 50,000,000 of people. 



Italy has ten million acres of forests. All these countries maintain 

 schools of instruction in forestry, where young men are trained in the 

 care and management of forests. 



IN THE UNITED STATES. 



New York is the only state to begin this educational work, and hat^ 

 lately established a chair of forestry at Cornell University. Several 

 states have legislated regarding forestry, but New York and Pennsylvania 

 are all that have actually established state forest reservations. New 

 York has established a large forest in the Adirondack region and has set 

 aside a tract of 30,000 acres as an experimental forest. Pennsylvania 

 has made provision for three forest reservations, each to consist of not 

 less than 40,000 acres, and to be located at the headwaters of the three 

 principal rivers of the state. 



Wisconsin and Minnesota have enacted laws for the prevention of foi- 

 est fires, and Wisconsin is on the eve of enacting a law creating state 

 forests; the result of the report of a forest commission appointed twM) 

 years ago with instructions to recommend legislation. 



The United States government has set aside certain tracts as forest 

 reservations, but no systematic work has been done looking toward their 

 preservation or improvement. 



PROTECTION AGAINST FIRE. 



One of the most important legislative enactments relative to forestiy 

 is something that will give more efficient protection against the ravages 

 of forest fires. Without this forestry is impossible. And there are some 

 problems to solve in this connection, owing to the prevailing custom with 

 lumbermen of leaving so much rubbish, which as soon as it becomes dry 

 not only invites a fire, but makes it well nigh impossible to extinguish 

 one when once started. It will be necessary to make some provivsion 

 for the safe disposal of this waste, since to allow it to remain invites dis- 

 astrous fires which no legislation can prevent nor extinguish. 



Bather than this, it seems to me best to adopt the Wisconsin method 

 and 



