6 



MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



MUNICIPAL FORESTS 



ARE PROFITABLE 



The Pennsylvania legislature, at its last ses- 

 sion, passed a law which seems to be a move in 

 the right direction. This law will permit the 

 municipalities of the state to acquire lands for 

 the establishment of municipal forests. It will 

 mean an outlay of money at first for the attain- 

 ment of a steady revenue in the future. The 

 lumber produced in this way will be available 

 for all the public work in the city and the profits 

 from the sale of products will greatly reduce the 

 taxes. In fact, there is no reason why each city 

 in this state should not have a forest large 

 enough to pay its expenses. 



Such municipal forests should be located near 

 the cities owning them and such a location is 

 peculiarly suited to profitable management. Un- 

 der present conditions a large proportion of the 

 profits from lumber is eaten up in the expense of 

 transportation. This expense would, in the case 

 of the city forests, be very small on account of 

 the nearness of the market. This same expense 

 of transportation makes it impossible to market 

 cordwood and inferior grades of lumber from 

 an inaccessible forest. In the case of the city 

 forest everything could be utilized. What would 

 be waste in the distant forest, yields a profit in 

 the near-by market. Cordwood is immediately 

 available at a large profit to supply the never- 

 failing demand of the city. The same is true 

 of all low grades of lumber. The slashings and 

 trash which are a hindrance to the management 

 of the forest and the disposal of which forms 

 one of the tiems of expense at present would in 

 the municipal forest furnish free fuel to the 

 poor and the expense of disposing of it would 

 be cut out. Free fuel for the poor in this climate 

 would alone be sufficient justification of a city 

 forest. 



Many cities own just such a tract as is needed 

 in connection with their water-works. Forest 

 growth on these tracts would make the water 

 more pure, it would prevent erosion and keep 

 the reservoir free from silt. If such use is not 

 made of the land it lies idle or is used as a 

 pleasure park which endangers the health of the 

 city. In most cases the present holdings are too 

 small to answer the purpose of a municipal for- 

 est, but they furnish good nuclei around which 

 such forests could be built up. 



This idea of city ownership of forests to fur- 

 nish an income for the town is not an original 

 idea, though it is little known in America. Many 

 German cities have forests of their own from 

 which they receive large revenues. The forests 

 are small, but in several cases the profits are 

 large enough to relieve the citizens of all taxes. 



There are 1,342,944 acres of forests in Baden, 

 which state has a total area of only 3,726,665 

 acres. Of the wooden lands 577,465 acres are 

 owned by communities and corporations. In 

 Baden 1,350 of the 1,364 communities have for- 

 ests, and, in addition, 287 schools, churches, hos- 

 pitals and other similar corporations are engaged 

 in practical forestry. From these public forests 

 there are cut yearly 261,724,300 board feet of 

 timber, which has a net value of $3,600,ouu. 



As an instance of communal forests, the city 

 of Baden has 10,"76 acres, the income from which 

 is $100,471, as against an outlay of $33,391, so 

 that the net profit is $66,080, or approximates 

 $6.25 per acre. In Freiburg the forests cover 

 8,085 acres, yielding a total income of $84,166 

 with an outlay of $37,330; a profit of $46,836, or 

 $5.79 per acre. In Heidelberg the forests cover 

 6,860 acres. The income is $39,834 and the out- 

 lay $27,199, showing a profit of $12,635. Heidel- 

 berg is still acquiring land, and that expense 

 necessarily reduces its net income. 



In the village of Braunlingen, which has 1,601 

 inhabitants and 4,507 acres of forest, there is 

 an allowance to the citizens of firewood and 

 100,000 board feet of lumber is given to churches, 

 schools and other institutions. From the timber 

 sold the net income is $21.600, and Braunlingen 

 is not only free from all communical taxes, but 



is enabled to establish electric plants, water- 

 works, and other public improvements. 



Even in the village of Aufen, with only 200 

 inhabitants, there are lt>3 acres of timberlaml. 

 This gives one cord of firewood to each citizen 

 and the 85,000 board feet of timber sold nets 

 more than $1,400, which is sufficient for all the 

 expenses of the little community. 



In this connection it must be remembered that 

 one hundred and fifty years ago the forests of 

 (jermany were in no better condition than are 

 mir own today. For years large quantities of 

 money were spent upon them to bring them to 

 their present state of development. Till this was 

 done the forests yielded little, if any, profits. 

 HeTe is the town of Frieburg expending yearly 

 $37,330 on 8,085 acres of forest and she more than 

 doubles her money. This is more than Minne- 

 sota spends on 15.000. 000 acres. Every business 

 man knows that a business cannot be run suc- 

 cessfully on insufficient capital, and the experi- 

 ence of Germany proves that the management of 

 forest land does not differ in this respect from 

 any other business. Minnesota Forester. 



tical advantages are nowhere greater than in 

 this region. Nowhere else is timber more in- 

 digenous; in no other locality does it spring up 

 with such surprising rapidity and perfection. 



There are nianv forcible reasons why farm 

 owners should take a deep interest in preserving 

 and beautifying the timber lands yet remaining 

 in this part of our state. 



Yet there may arise some feeling in the minds 

 of some that they might clear up a larger area 

 on their farms. But in most cases, if the land 

 already cleared was cultivated with more thor- 

 oughness and made to yield up to its possibilities 

 through better methods great returns could be 

 realized. And the timber lot would become an 

 increasing source of delight to the rural home, 

 as well as a fruitful source of profit to those 

 who come after. 



C. X. COULTER. 



MAKING IT HOT FOR TRESPASSERS. 



Receipts for the state land office from the 

 sales of homestead lands for trespass, etc., for 

 the six months ending June 30, totalled $234,- 

 065.45. The sales of tax homestead lands amount- 

 ed to $211,910.10, but sales were also made from 

 the primary school lands, the agricultural col- 

 lege lands, and the university lands. 



"We are trying to encourage homesteaders all 

 we can," says Huntley Russell, state land com- 

 missioner. "And we are trying to make if hot 

 for trespassers. Other states and other nations 

 do all they can to bring in homesteaders, but as 

 yet Michigan has done little or nothing. The 

 new public domain commission is empowered to 

 encourage the bringing in of new homesteaders. 

 Furthermore, I wish the new commission to per- 

 mit this department tp make the sales in the 

 vicinity of the people most interested and where 

 the land is. Now, under the law, we have to 

 make those sales here in Lansing, and the fel- 

 lows unable to come down here do not stand 

 the best chance." 



Glen R. Munshaw, supervisor of trespass, 

 shows in his report to Cpmmissioner Russell that 

 there have been 101 cases of trespass during the 

 six months ending with June 30. There are now 

 49 cases pending, 22 cases have been adjusted 

 and 12 convictions were secured. A total of 

 $2,116.12 was received in fines. The report also 

 shows that 476,668 feet of timber were stolen, 

 15,708 posts, 3,961 ties, and 489 poles. 



More than 60,000 acres of homstead land in 

 the following counties are soon to be placed on 

 sale: Alger, Arenac, Dickinson, Isabella, Ros- 

 common, Saginaw and Wexford. 



A PLEA FOR REFORESTATION. 



The subject of reinstating the forests, especi- 

 ally of Grand Traverse region, is one of very 

 practical value to the rural population. It pre- 

 sents several interesting features. 



First, the importance of having timber at hand 

 for the many uses for which it is needed. Fuel 

 is needed and wood is the best and cleanest fuel, 

 as well as the most sanitary. For the innumerable 

 uses for which pieces of timber may be needed, 

 the farmer knows how desirable it is to have a 

 timber lot. 



Then it beautifies and enhances the appearance 

 of a country to see the timber interspersed with 

 green fields and waving grain. The timber pre- 

 serves are the beauty and pride of the European 

 lords and noblemen. The shady drives and cool 

 retreats through which, with friends and kindred 

 they may ride or roam, furnishes delight in times 

 of rest and recreation. The picnic in the grove 

 furnishes friends and neighbors recreation and 

 refreshment with relief most salutory and inspir- 

 ing. Yes, the moonlight rambles of the swain 

 with his beloved often mark the beginning of 

 love's enduring compact which ends only in death. 

 The delights there found are more refining and 

 salutory than drama or tragedy, than farce or 

 comedy. 



Then, the facilities, such refining and prac- 



LAND COMMISSIONER'S DUTIES CUR- 

 TAILED. 



Just what is the position, duties and authority 

 of the state land commissioner under the public 

 domain act, is one of the matters to be worked 

 out provided no one takes the law into court 

 and succeeds in getting it declared unconstitu- 

 tional. A glance through the commission act 

 indicates that while this state official is left with 

 his title, salary and position, he is divested of 

 much of his authority except such powers as 

 are conferred on him by the commission. 



Section 2 places the control of all trespass 

 cases in the hands of the commission, while sec- 

 tion 3 says the public domain, which is placed 

 under control of the commission, shall include 

 all lands now owned by the state subject to en- 

 try and all lands that shall hereafter be deeded 

 to the state by the auditor general. In section 

 5 it is stated that the duties of the land com- 

 missioner and auditor general shall be as under 

 the laws now in force, but the commissioner and 

 auditor general shall be subject to the "super- 

 vision, control and direction" of the commis- 

 sion. 



Under these features of the law there is liable 

 to come some misunderstandings, it is pointed 

 out, and there is considerable speculation as to 

 just how the duties of the land commissioner will 

 he prescribed and what authority he has. 



TREES MAN'S BEST FRIEND. 



Trees are man's best friends, but man has 

 treated them as his worst enemies. While 

 man has seemed to be the victor, his victories 

 have brought upon him inevitable disaster. 

 The famous naturalist and traveler, Humboldt, 

 said: "Men in all countries bring upon the 

 future two calamities at once a want of fuel 

 and a scarcity of water both coming from the 

 wholesale destruction of trees with no effort 

 made to replenish." 



Roger Verspert in 1492 said: "We plant the 

 ships when we plant the trees." 



In the island of St. Helena some time ago, 

 by the cutting off of its forests, the rainfall 

 was greatly lessened and certain crops consid- 

 siderably diminished. In later years as the 

 woods have been allowed to grow again, the 

 rains and crops have increased in proportion. 



The river Elbe between the years of 1787 

 and 1837 grew ten feet shallower as the result 

 of cutting off the forests where tributaries of 

 that stream had their origin. 



By the ruthless removal of forests the de- 

 posits of leaves has been stopped these leaves 

 held the moisture and made spongy soil that 

 allowed the rainfalls to gradually approach a 

 river. With drier soil, the rains reaching the 

 rivers in torrents cause considerable damage 

 as in our spring floods each year. 



There are many historic trees intimately con- 

 nected with vital incidents of national his- 

 tory, for instance, what is called the Charter 

 Oak in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1687 when 

 James I of England sent a commissioner to 

 receive and revoke the charter of Connecticut, 

 the governor of that colony caused the docu- 

 ment to 'be hidden in a hole in this oak tree. 

 After the death of James, when matters had 

 quieted down a little, the charter was produced 



