156 ANNUAL REPORT 



Mr, Harris. Mr. President, our Society considered this question 

 somewhat last winter and appointed a committee to try and get a bill 

 passed by the legislature to preserve such forests as were still in the 

 posession of the State and that were not valuable enough for agricul- 

 tural purposes, and to reforest such portions of the State as had been 

 deforested and the land left .to revert to the State. Our legislature 

 paid but little attention to the matter, and failed to take any action 

 thereon. There are timber lands in this State that have been cut off 

 and that are growing up to timber, but which lands have been sold 

 for taxes. It is important that this timber which is growing up 

 should be preserved ou these lands which revert to the State. If such 

 were the case, large areas iu the northern portion of the State would 

 be reforested, and a large revenue might be obtained for the State in 

 years to come. 



We need here in Minnesota, in order to make it a perfect garden of 

 Eden, a vast body of water along our northern borders. As we can- 

 not have that the next best thing is to have an abundance of timber, 

 and to reforest this whole western country. If that could be done it 

 would change the climate so that we could raise a great many fruits 

 that we attempt but fail to raise at the present time; it would render 

 the State far better adapted for agriculture of every kind. It is well 

 to agitate this question, and have something definite accomplished. 



I tell you, sir, forestry .ought to be taken under the wing of the 

 State Horticultural Society. We are recognized as the strongest as- 

 sociation in the State of Minnesota in the interest of Agriculture. 

 We, as a' society, have labored for the promotion of forestry, and the 

 State Forestry Association should be merged into this Society. I am 

 in favor of keeping up that organization if it could be made efficient, 

 but as it has been managed in the past it would be more successful if 

 merged in this Society. The more organizations we put into one, 

 without interfering with their work, the better. 



Prof. Porter said that he had observed, in looking up some matter 

 at the capil ol recently that about twenty-two thousand dollars was paid 

 out in a single year for the promotion of forestry, but did not know 

 how the money was appropriated. 



President Elliot stated that he presumed the money was paid for 

 bounties for planting trees along streets and highways, etc. 



Mr. Gould. Mr. President, I agree with Mr. Brand and Mr. Pearce 

 that the proper thing to dicuss now in reference to forestry is the 

 planting of trees on the " western plains " as they used to be called, 

 which embrace Dakota, a portion of Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. 



