Michigan raised this very point: "We 

 can not afford woods; we want wheat 

 fields." Why did they keep the 

 woods? They have them now; there 

 is more real forest in Washtenaw 

 county than in Roscommon county. 

 Why did they keep them? Because 

 they could not afford to be without. 

 The farmer in Iowa planted forest on 

 land better than the best in our State. 

 Why? Because he can better afford 

 to do with a few acres less of corn 

 than to haul coal five or ten miles and 

 pay cash for every stick of wood or 

 timber. The State of Wurtemberg has 

 about 400,000 acres of woods belong- 

 ing to the State itself. These woods 

 are on the poor lands and yet the peo- 

 nle get over two million dollars a 

 year from these forests. Five dollars 

 a year per acre! There is not a farm 

 in our county that can be rented at 

 that figure for any length of time. The 

 forest normally beats the farm for a 

 net income on ordinary lands and 

 wherever timber is accessible and has 

 a reasonable price. But that is not 

 all: Your forest calls for a sawmill, 

 for planing mill, cooperage shop, pulp 

 mill and other industries, all of which 

 make business, and make up the farm- 

 er's most important home market. 

 Does it pay? Yes, the fact is we can 

 not afford to be without it. 



