FORESTRY. 315 
accessible to only a few, comparatively. You cannot reach all the 
people with only one corps, you cannot do it. These institutes that 
are held in various places will go there this year, and then it will be 
two or three years before they will have another institute; they want 
it to come every year; once in two or three years is not enough, In 
order to give the people what they want and what they need, it 
seems to me it would be advisable to put more than one corps of 
workers in the field. Divide the state into two parts; two corps 
would work just as well as one, In Wisconsin they have four corps, 
and I understand they are carried on very successfully indeed. Our 
people pay the bills, and who is to be benefitted? The people 
ought to be benefitted. We think we can afford to build a four or 
five million dollar courthouse in Minneapolis, and the people pay 
the bills. This isa large subject. I think the people ought to have 
some benefit from the taxation; I think they ought to have more 
than they have now, and I donot know how it can be better given to 
them than through the farmers’ institute work. 
FORESTRY. 
REV. O. A. TH. SOLEM, HALSTED. 
The intelligent observer who to a limited extent understands the 
important significance to our country and our people, both for the 
present and {uture, of protecting our forests and the vigorous efforts 
being made to promote the advancement of timber culture, cannot 
refrain from rejoicing over every little attempt made in that direc- 
tion. The great and commendable work done by our society in 
constantly agitating the matter cannot be overestimated, and the 
interest taken in the progressive work in bringing its importance 
before the people is really worthy of highest commendation. The 
press to some extent, especially so in the larger cities, have aided us 
very much in our work, and the co-operation of our local country 
papers has been of great value to our society and the furtherance 
of the grand object we seek to attain. 
The terrific forest fires of the previous year have opened the eyes 
of many to the stern necessity of immediate action, with a view to 
protecting our forests from the many enemies that threated to de- 
stroy it. We hopethat every owner of a tract of land, however small, 
will proceed at once to plant a few trees thereon. 
It affords us great pleasure to be able to state that last spring 
there were a goodly number of trees set out in this vicinity, and, to 
judge from the interest manifested the past year, tree culture will 
assume marvelous proportions with the advent of the approaching 
spring. The people now are desirous of knowing what varieties to 
plant and how to treat them. Quite a number of people have 
obtained trees from my nursery, and when occasionally I stroll 
around the settlement, these trees, rank and robust in appearance 
seemingly, as it were, gracefully and politely greet meas I pass 
with the warmth and ardor of old acquaintances. At some places 
