FORESTRY COMMISSIONER. 33 



States. The third in rank of her great industries has its 

 source in her forests. The virgin pine, in many instan- 

 ces of two hundred years growth, now paying good wages 

 to 25,000 laborers, will be gone in about a dozen years; 

 and the great question of the day is how to wisely form a 

 partnership with nature in the work of reforestation. 



While there are about 12,000,000 acres of arable land 

 in central and northern Minnesota not yet under cultiva- 

 tion, there are fully 3,000,000 acres in scattered localities 

 of waste, rocky^ hilly or sandy land that is only suitable 

 for the production of coniferons forest, and which the 

 State should acquire as an investment and hold perpetu- 

 ally in forest. On an average only about 20 per cent, 

 of cut-over pine land reforests itself with pine naturally. 

 The greater part requires artificial planting. More than 

 a century's experience of different European countries 

 shows that such forest will yield an average net annual 

 revenue on the capital it represents of from two to three 

 per cent, compound interest, besides the many indirect 

 benefits of affording wages for many thousand people, 

 improving soil and climate, beautifying scenery, maintain- 

 ing waterflow in streams and affording covert for game. 

 Good roads and the suppression of noxious animals are 

 also a part of forestry. 



Then why not begin? Why not have some regard 

 for the future ? 



How would Minnesota have had its present school fund 

 of sixteen million dollars, and destined to become thirty 

 million dollars, if statesman-like men forty years ago had 

 not laid its foundation ? 



It all depends upon the Legislature. 



