50 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



to the practicability of forestry methods as nothing else has ever 

 been able to do. "Seeing is believing" is the old saying, and it is 

 becoming more and more the standard of modern education. 



Experiment Work. Such an institution would necessarily in- 

 clude an experiment station in forest management and methods, ex- 

 periment being another fundamental principle of modern education. 

 In the reserve would be carried on experiments along all lines con- 

 nected with forest work. Experiments in nursery work, thin- 

 nings and tree growth could be admirably conducted under the 

 direction of the trained men connected with the forest school. 

 Careful records of such work would furnish valuable data for the 

 whole lake region, especially in Minnesota. There are something 

 like 5,000,000 acres of land in this state thi;t must, from its nature, 

 be kept in forest. The economic handling of that forest land means 

 millions of dollars to Minnesota. Nothing could do more toward 

 bringing about the wise handling of this land than such a forest 

 school, experiment station and model forest. 



Rights of Visitors Preserved. These arrangements would not 

 in any way interfere with the rights of the general public m the 

 enjoyment of the beauties of nature included within the reserve. 

 It would increase them. The original purpose of the park would 

 be in no way impaired. ■ The new lodge would still be conducted 

 as a summer hotel for the accommodation of guests. The lake, 

 the romantic source of the Father of Waters, would be more ac- 

 cessible than ever before ; the primeval forest would be really 

 opened up for their enjoyment for the first time. Moreover, there 

 would be the added interest of a forest school, an experiment sta- 

 tion and a model forest — all in full operation. The number of peo- 

 ple enjoying the privileges for which the park was originally es- 

 tablished would be greatly increased, and these would all get an 

 insight into practical forestry. 



An Improved Park. The transfer would change Itasca Park 

 from an inert, neglected, uninstructive bunch of primeval trees, 

 steadily dying out, to a live, carefully-tended, enlightening forest. 

 It would contain an ideal Demonstration School of Forestry which 

 would place the University of Minnesota ct the head of the list in 

 that line of work, and a Forest Experiment Station which would 

 make rapidly for the development of better forestry methods. It 

 would be the concrete illustration of practical forestry that the state 

 so greatly needs. 



