14 REPORT OF SPECIAL FORESTRY COMMITTEE 



ideas as to the agricultural possibilities of the lands with 

 which they were familiar. In this way the Com- 

 mittee got most excellent information as to the char- 

 acter of the soil and general topography of the coun- 

 try. The visit was made at a time of the year when 

 a considerable distance could be covered with very 

 little fatigue and when the trees were devoid of fo- 

 liage and the ground bare so that soil conditions 

 could be plainly seen. This trip was made to cover 

 the wildest part, perhaps, of the forest reserve area 

 and into a region where there were very few settlers, 

 although, of course, on many occasions the Com- 

 mittee visited territories which were quite thickly 

 populated, especially for this Northern country. 

 Notes were made on every section reached, and on 

 the return of the party to headquarters at night one 

 member of each crew dictated a report of the day's 

 trip with such additions as the other members and 

 cruiser Accompanying them might suggest. These 

 were signed by the Committee members and cruisers 

 and have been preserved. 



The route covered by each crew was planned by 

 the Chairman of the Committee and an examination 

 of the map showing the area inspected will demon- 

 strate that some of the townships were covered most 

 thoroughly. 



The rangers were of great assistance as guides, 

 being familiar with the different roads, section cor- 

 ners, quarter posts, lakes and other land marks and 

 were depended upon to guide the Committee to the 

 places desired to be reached, where, with the assis- 

 tance of the cruisers, no difficulty was had in ascer- 

 taining the exact location. 



On February 5 and 6, 1914, pursuant to notices 

 published for several weeks in all of the newspapers 

 printed in Vilas county, a hearing was called at the 

 Court House in Eagle River. Through a misunder- 

 standing upon the part of some of the people inter- 

 ested from that district and a desire to have the 

 meetings held in t'he summer, an attempt was made 

 to adjourn this meeting by the people of Vilas 



