MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS. 



13 



this purpose, and that an appropriation be 

 allowed in keeping with the magnitude of 

 the task and the enormous gain to be ac- 

 complished. 



4. That in its efforts of forest protection 

 the state rely on a system of state paid patrol, 

 and not on any local or political organization. 



5. That a law be established making it 

 obligatory on any owner of land to clean 

 debris in lumbering, or otherwise put his prop- 

 erty in a safe condition, and thereby avoid the 

 danger of burning up neighboring holdings. 



6. That reforestation of any lands in this 

 state be encouraged by law. 



7. That the laws against setting of fires be 

 strengthened. 



8. (Voted out.) 



9. That all state lands which have not been 

 ascertained to be suitable for agricultural pur- 

 poses be declared forest reserve. 



10. That we favor the rapid extension of 

 the policy of establishing state forest reserves 

 and the adaptation of some intelligent and, 

 if posible, automatic system of discrimination 

 between lands bt>t suited for forestry or agri- 

 culture. 



11. That no land be sold for taxes until 

 the five-year period of redemption is actually 

 passed, to the end that timber stealing under 

 the cloak of tax title during such period of 

 redemption be made impossible. 



12. That this state, like the federal gov- 

 ernment, and like Pennsylvania, New York, 

 Connecticut, and all civilized states of Europe, 

 pay a reasonable local tax on its forest re- 

 serves, preferably a flat rate per acre. 



A Lively Debate. 



During the reading of the resolutions, and 

 before the adoption of sections nine and ten, 

 in their present form, considerable discussion 

 was had. In section ten it was originally pro- 

 posed to provide that no state lands be sold 

 at less than $10 per acre for land alone. This 

 provision met with strong opposition, and was 

 afterwards amended so as to make it read $5 

 per acre, to which there was also strong ob- 

 jection. The contention of those who ob- 

 jected to this section as originally offered was 

 that it was practically prohibitive and might 

 arouse antagonism among the lumbermen of 

 the state. It was stated among other things 

 that some of these lands were only worth a 

 nominal price. 



Professor Griffith suggested a provision that 

 the lands be appraised and sold at not less 

 than the appraised value. Mr. Chapman said 

 it was possible that resolutions, nine and ten 

 were both inadvisable at this time, because 

 they attempted to anticipate the work of the 

 legislature and lay down two principles which 

 the legislature would not find it advisable to 

 adopt. In this he was supported by other 

 delegates who took part in the discussion. Mr. 

 Loud said that the sections were framed for 

 the purpose of preventing very serious troubles 

 which the forestry association is up against, 

 and to prevent an individual buyer coming 

 . in and buying a small description or tract 

 that would be a very serious disadvantage. 



The discussion was not concluded when the 

 luncheon hour arrived, and was renewed when 

 the association reconvened at 2 o'clock. Mr. 

 Mershon said he did not think it would be 

 wise to commit the association to anything 

 positively radical at this time; that it would 

 be unwise to adopt any provision which would 

 even have a minority against it in the legis- 

 lature; that if we were going to recommend 

 anything we should recommend it unani- 

 mously. 



Mr. Ward said that, although he was not 

 a member of the association, it seemed to him 

 rather radical to declare all state lands forest 

 reserve and remove everything out of the mar- 

 ket at the present time, for the reason that 

 there are certain lands that are agricultural 

 lands, which should be sold to the settler. 



After a full discussion the resolutions were 

 adopted as heretofore given. 



Convention Expresses Its Thanks. 



Previous to the adjournment the following 

 resolutions were offered by Mfc C. S. Udell: 



1. We wish to express to Mr. William B. 

 Mershon our appreciation of his untiring ef- 

 forts, both in season and out of season, to 

 do everything possible to make this, the third 

 annual meeting of the Forestry Association, 

 a great success. We thank him for his address 

 of welcome, for his hospitality, and for all 

 that he has done to make our stay here 

 pleasant. We know that he has extended a 

 cordial invitation to the business people, ana 

 to all people here ,jn Saginaw, who ought to 

 he interested in forestry. 



2. We extend to the press of Saginaw our 

 thanks for all that they have been doing so 

 long, in reminding the people here, through 

 paragraphs and articles in the papers, of the 

 importance of this meeting and its immediate 

 importance to the people of Saginaw. 



3. We thank the officers of the Saginaw 

 Club for their hospitality, for giving the use 

 of their club house, and for their luncheon, 

 which we all enjoyed. 



4. We vvish also to extend our thanks to 

 Professor Roth, of the University of Michigan, 

 for his zeal and untiring efforts for this cause, 

 which is so vital to the interests of our be- 

 loved state. 



5. Also to the delegates who have come 

 here from other states and from Canada, anu 

 have given us such an uplift by their inspiring 

 papers. 



6. And permit us to thank you, Mr. Presi- 

 de, for your fine, helpful address, the work 

 you have done during the past year, and for 

 your great assistance to the Michigan Forestry 

 Association. 



On motion the resolutions were unanimously 

 adopted by a rising vote. 



Thereupon the convention adjourned. 



TO BOOM THE WOODLOT. 



There is constantly increasing demand from 

 the farmers and land owners throughout the 

 state for information regarding the planting 

 and care of forest trees and the management 

 of standing timber. 



In view of this fact, to supply an actual 

 want, the State Agricultural College, through 

 its Department of Forestry, will prepare plant- 

 ing and working plans for farm woodlots upon 

 receiving application for such work from the 

 owner. 



A forester from the department will be de- 

 tailed to look over lands of the applicant and 

 submit recommendations for their best forest 

 management, free, of charge to the owner. 

 The plans will set forth the best methods of 

 handling the standing timber in that particular 

 tract, the amount' of timber on the area, its 

 rate of growth and best forestry system to use 

 in its regeneration. On non-timbered tracts 

 the plans will include the best species to plant 

 for specific purposes, the manner and cost of 

 planting, and the probable returns at the end 

 of a given period; also methods and costs of 

 protection of the forest growth. In case of 

 large tracts, rough field maps will accompany 

 the plans. 



In case scientific aid is accepted the appli- 

 cant meets the department forester sent out on 

 the work at the railroad station, conveys him 

 to and from the area under observation, and 

 maintains him during the period of investiga- 

 tion. 



The land owner in applying for scientific aid 

 does not put himself under obligations, in any 

 way. to adopt the plans. Tf the plans are 

 adopted by the owner, the Forestry Depart- 

 ment reserves the right to make such measure- 

 ments of tree growths from time to time as it 

 desires, and to publish the same. 



Seedlings of our best native forest trees will 

 be furnished to farmers from the college nur- 



series at cost. There are now on hand in nur- 

 sery seedlings of white and red pine, spruce, 

 white cedar, western yellow pine, red oak, 

 chestnut, post locust, tulip, walnut, butternut 

 and ash; also cuttings of Carolina poplar, bas- 

 ket and white willow. If the owner of the 

 land shiiuld \vish it. and the area to be planted 

 be sufficiently large to warrant it, a forester 

 will be sent to oversee the proper planting of 

 such forest tree seedlings for forestry purpo-i--. 



PRACTICAL FORESTRY SCHOOL. 



The State Board of Agriculture of Michigan 

 has determined to establish a special summer 

 school of forestry in the big state reserve 

 in losco county. There are about 42,000 acrcb 

 in all in these wilds which afford splendid 

 facilities for wood study, research and demon- 

 strations in practical forestry. The two upper 

 cla-^es who are now taking this study at the 

 Michigan Agricultural College will continue 

 their work on the reserve, and as many special 

 outside students will be added to the school 

 as care to take the course. 



It will be a real taste of the old back- 

 woods pioneer days, as there are no buildings 

 on the reservation, and the students will have 

 to rough it, sleeping in tents and cooking their 

 own "grub."^ 



It is a capital move on the board's part in 

 establishing this summer school, as it means 

 actual experience in the forests and for those 

 who have never taken the study it would mean 

 a splendid summer's outing and an opening 

 later for a snug position with Uncle Sam. 



The summer forestry school will be opened 

 immediately after the college sessions close 

 for vacation, and will be continued for eight 

 weeks. 



JACK PINE HAS VALUE. 



The despised jack pine has come to its own 

 at last. In Michigan the natives think mighty 

 little of it. They look upon it as a sort of 

 worthless mongrel which has grown up on 

 the Michigan barrens as a tantalizing reminder 

 that the peninsula state once had pine that 

 was pine. But our kind Uncle Sam has taken 

 pity upon the measly old jack pine, and is 

 even going to great trouble in propagating 

 its kind. For he has held a tree contest, in 

 which the jack pine took first prize and demon- 

 strated that it has a good use after all. The 

 contest took place in the Dismal river forest 

 reserve, in western Nebraska. 



Included in the entries were the aristocratic 

 members of the pine family, which have not 

 even a speaking acquaintance with the lowly 

 jack. But these aristocrats had been too much 

 accustomed to high living. When they were 

 left to shift for themselves in the inhospitable 

 sand dunes they lost their courage, sickened 

 and died. But the jack, tough in constitution 

 as well as in reputation, dug its roots down 

 deep through the hot, dry surface sand, and 

 sucked from the soil beneath sufficient moisture 

 to keep itself alive. And so it happens that 

 the lowly jack has been crowned king of the 

 Xebraskan dunes. With its long roots it helps 

 to hold the shifting sands in place. 



Beholding the jack's success in Uncle Sam's 

 contest, the Xebraskans are planting it around 

 their homes. Some of those that were planted 

 early already begin to afford protection from 

 the high winds. Meanwhile, convinced that 

 the jack is the one tree for the forest reserves 

 of Nebraska, the national government has 

 gone into the business of growing jack pine 

 on a larger scale. 



Seeds are planted in beds, and during the 

 first year the little seedlings are cared for 

 very tenderly. They arc shielded from the 

 hot sun and they are given moisture in plenty. 

 But the second year they are hardened for 

 the fight which awaits them. They are trans- 

 planted in rows, are left to withstand the 

 hot rays of the sun, and are given water only 

 in times of extreme drought. The third year 

 they are planted on the sand dunes and left 

 to shift for themselves. It is the expectation 

 of the forest service that more than fifty per 

 cent will grow. 



