30 ANNUAL REPORT OF 



year is appropriated for the purchase of such lands. As 

 in the State of New York the purchase of forestry lands 

 by the State of Pennsylvania is regarded not as an ex- 

 penditure but as an investment. The Forestry Commis- 

 sion of Pennsylvania began planting only two years ago and 

 has now planted about 70 acres with white pine, which 

 work is expected to increase from year to year. With a 

 view to having trained foresters to conduct its forestry 

 work the State has established the Mont Alto Forest Acad- 

 emy, which is under the charge of Mr. Geo. H. Wirt, 

 the State Forester. Only Pennsylvania boys between the 

 ages of 1 7 and 2 5 years are admitted to the Academy. Tu- 

 ition, books, stationery, board and lodging are free which 

 the student pays for by manual labor in the forest. Each 

 student must furnish his own horse and equipment and 

 care for the same; but stable, forage and shoing are free. 

 There are now 27 students. The Academy which has 

 been in operation only three years makes a specialty of 

 the business or practical part of forestry. 



I visited, last year, parts of the forest reserves of the 

 two last mentioned states and was favorably impressed 

 by the forestry work being done. 



The State of Michigan now has a forest reserve of about 

 39,000 acres situated in Roscommon and Crawford coun- 

 ties, in the north central part of the State on the head- 

 waters of the Muskegon river. The reserve though not 

 in one body, comprises an expanse of sandy pinery lands 

 which once bore magnificent forests of white and Norway 

 pine. Some reforestation by artificial planting is being 

 done on the reserve each year. About 28,000 acres have 

 been surveyed, mostly by forestry students of the Uni- 

 versity and Agricultural College. Additions to the re- 

 serve are gradually being made. There are 6,000,000 

 acres of State tax title lands in Michigan, a portion of 



