6 MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 







its imposing snow-capped domes, and its won- Michigan's Tree Planting a tree cr P was started much like a grain crop. 



derful and imposing remains of an ancient .. o. i The seed produced 1,500 to 2,000 little trees 10 



Indian civilization, to the shores of the Meets otrong Approval tne acre, which promises a satisfactory stai. !. 



Pacific. But it was found that this method costs more 



Liberal commendation for Michigan's tree- than to grow trees in the nursery and to plant 



REFORESTING IN GENESEE COUNTY, planting is the result of the inspection of a them in the field when they are from two to 



Wm. H. Rose, former soldier, legislator, federal expert. E. O. Siecke, who has returned four vears old -'^ 



land commissioner, and always a farmer, at the to t h e Washington office of the forest service, NQ STATE TAX LANDS 



age of 65, is enjoying the unique experience says t h a t the 400 or 500 acres of trees which IN MARQUETTE COUNTY 



of reforesting the farm in Genesee county h:lve bee n set out in Crawford county, Michi- According to Deputy County Treasurer B. 



where he was born, whose broad acres he gan, are doing well, and that the cost of plum- w Wright; the c :, c ; sicn o f the public domain 



helned as a bov to clear ln g them has been unusually low. I his is 



n P 'i"' 16 a feather in the ca P of Prof - Fil'bert commission to semi to the county seats ot the 



!36 that his father, Silas Rose, th, formerly state forester, who until recent- state lists cf the tax lands in their respective 

 Bath, N. Y., came to Michigan and took up ly had charge of the planting. counties, under present conditions, means 

 the section of land which Wm. H. Rose now "The cost of planting trees in the Michigan nothing to Marquette county, as there are no 

 owns. Mr. Rose was one of the first settlers forest reserve has been $6 per acre," said Mr. State tax lands within its boundaries. This 

 and the township was named Bath after his Siecke. "This includes the cost of growing does not mean that there ought not to be such 

 home town in New York. He is also credited the trees from the seed and the labor of the lands, but no lands delinquent for taxes in 

 with plowing the first furrow turned in the nna ' planting. Michigan's expense in starting Mtrquette county have been formally deeded 

 township. its plantation has been fully as low and per- to the State since 1884. In consequence, the 

 The vicinity of the Rose home is known haps even lower than similar work in ther county treasurer's office is lumbered up with a 

 as Rose lakes on account of the beautiful lit- states. The experience of the forest service large number of delinquent tax land descrip- 

 tle lakes near the home. Prior to his death, is that its successful planting has cost more tiens, on some of which taxes have not been 

 Silas Rose had sold all but 325 acres of his than that done by Prof. Roth, but the federal paid since 1881. All these descriptions are 

 land. Wm. H. Rose has repurchased this planting has been done under very favorable crfereci for sale each year, but no buyers have 

 land a piece at a time until he now owns 525 conditions. i.>een forthcoming, and not infrequently the 

 acres of the original section. "If there ever was doubt whether trees could total taxes now charged against the descrip- 

 A quarter of a century ago, Wm. Rose bui't be made to grow well on the sand barrens of tions inn into the thousands of dollars. Th^re 

 a fine colonial residence just across from the Michigan, the experience in Crawford county are LOW about 1,600 descriptions delinquent lor 

 Rose lakes. The view from the home is beau- is sufficient to settle it, once for all. It is true, taxes on record in the treasurer's office, of 

 tiful. Just west of the lakes is a park en- of course, that fires have eaten up the greater which 665 descriptions became delinquent prior 

 closed by a high woven wire fence, where a part of the vegetable matter of the soil, bu' to 1906, and could be deeded to the State, 

 few years ago Mr. Rose tried the experiment there is still sufficient nourishment to enable These descriptions will probably average 

 of confining thirteen deer. Whether it was a the trees to make an average growth. eighty acres each, which means that there are 

 fatality of numbers, or that the confinement "Some of the best trees of those planted in in the neighborhood of 53,000 acres in Mar- 

 did not agree with them is not known, but for 1904, when state planting began, have attained quette county, which could be deeded to the 

 some reason the deer all died. a height of eight feet, and are yearly adding State as State tax lands. 



At present Mr. Rose's pet hobby is the re- two feet to their stature. As a whole the plan- The public domain commission was a crea- 

 forestation of his land. In his office of land tation is making at least an average growth. tion of the last legislature, and a part of its 

 commissioner, Mr. Rose became very much "Perhaps the trees are not doing quite so duties are to "as soon as possible after its 

 interested in forestry, spending a great deal well as in the New York plantation, but the organization, cause an investigation to be made 

 of his time in the forest reserve at Roscom- New Yorkers, while having about the same for the purpose of determining what State tax 

 men. ' From these forest reserves he had sort of soil as that in the Michigan forest, have lands are so circumstanced as to be deeded by 

 13,000 baby yellow and white pines, and the benefit of greater rainfall. In the Michi- the auditor general to the State, and said lands 

 spruces shipped to Bath, last spring. These gan plantation the trees are set out at intervals shall be so deeded without unnecessary delay." 

 trees were from three to twelve inches in held to be proper in the best forestry practice, The foregoing would indicate that there is 

 height on their arrival. The largest and hard- and they give every promise of affording ulti- opportunity for the commission to carry out 

 iest were set out in rows in a field back on mately a fine stand of merchantable timber, that part of its duty in Marquette county, and 

 the farm. A field was fitted just west of the Michigan deserves no little credit, too, becauho these long-delinquent lands will doubtless be 

 house for the others. The trees were set out it is one of the first two states to undertake deeded to the State in due time, 

 in rows, each kind by itself, with space enough planting on a considerable scale. The law creating the commission further 

 between fcr cultivation. Mr. Rose did all the "At the request of the forest service Prof, provides that as soon as the State shall acquire 

 work of setting out the trees with his own Roth carried on two very interesting expen- absolute title the lands shall be under the con- 

 hands, and sees to their care and cultivation, ments in broadcast sowing. There has always trol of the commission, which commission 

 Nearly all the trees are alive and have dou- been some question whether the seeds of pine shall appraise and sell such lands as can be 

 bled in height since spring. trees might not be economically and success- used for agricultural purposes, and it may cre- 

 Next spring Mr. Rose proposes to trans- fully sown broadcast upon unprepared ground, ate forestry reserves from lands unfit for agri- 

 plant those trees for permanency, setting just as nature sows it. So far the forest service cultural purposes. Mineral rights on tax lands 

 them six feet apart each way. He will use sent Prof Roth, a liberal consignment of pine are to be reserved to the State, when so sold 

 some hills on the farm which were formerly seeds, and asked him to have it sown. Forty by the public domain commission, 

 set out with peach trees, also a plat of ground acres of typical pine barrens were seeded in The act provides that state tax lands shall 

 near a small lake. The land is ideal for the this way. The result of this sowing is a stand be offered for sale at the county seats of the 

 purpose as there are native groves of pine of about five or ten trees to the acre, and that counties in which the lands are situated, and 

 trees near. is all. that the county treasurers shall be furnished 

 In speaking of his plans Mr. Rose says: "I "Professor Roth attributes the failure to the with lists of all unsold state tax lands in the 

 do not expect myself or daughter to derive depredations of birds and rodents. The ex- county and the appraised price thereof. Each 

 any benefit from this reforestation of the periment demonstrates that foresters, not hav- month the state land commissioner shall make 

 land, but future generations may. It will ing millions of seeds to waste, cannot sow in a report to the county treasurer of the lands 

 take 50 years for these trees to reach ma- nature's way under condition such as existed sold in the county during that month, and all 

 turity." in the Michigan forest reserve and with no of these lists and reports shall be open to pub- 



The home is surrounded by a beautiful protection against pests. They must be con- lie inspection. 



growth of shade trees. A cyclone row of tent to plant the seed in nurseries and to trans- The public domain commission is now work- 



Xorway spruces shelters the house and barns, plant the little trees on the areas where they ing along these lines and it is only a question 



are expected to make their final growth. of time until the delinquent tax lands in Mar- 



GETTING READY FOR LOGGING. "There was some evidence of misunderstand- quette county will be turned over to the state 

 The Crowl Lumber' Company shut down its ing > n Michigan regarding this experiment, and advertised for sale in the manner pro- 

 mill at Harbor Springs for the season last The fact is that the cost to the state was prob- vided by the new law. 

 Saturday. Its cut this year was between five ably not more than $5, the only requirement 



and six million feet of lumber and ten thou- being the time of one man to throw the seed, BUILDING GOOD ROADS, 



sand cords of wood. This wood piled in a which was furnished by the forest service at A Negaunee man who recently spent several 



single rank fcur feet high would nearly build its own expense. The result of this experi- days in Alger county was much pleased with 



a fence around four sections of land. The ment was not altogether unexpected, and yet the work being done en the roads there. L. 



company is now busy getting its winter camps it was important that the attempt be made ur- E. Adams, formerly of Negaunee, who is one 



in running order and the cutting and skidding der conditions such as prevail in Michigan. of the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company's en- 



of logs for next year's run will soon be the "Another experiment in broadcast sowing gineers, has been in charge the past few years, 



order of the day. All the men who worked did succeed, however. For this Prof. Roth had In the neighborhood of forty miles of roads 



in the mill will be furnished employment in five acres disced and harrowed before the seed have been rebuilt, and plans have been made 



the camps, if they wish the work, besides a was sown, and after the sowing the seed was fcr the construction of a considerable mileage 



great many more. given another harrowing. In this experiment next year. 



