supply of timber within ten or fifteen miles of these mines, 

 but already it is evident that this is no longer the case. For 

 first, the loggers took the best of the timber, then fires killed 

 and destroyed a very large part of the balance. Of this bal- 

 ance a great deal has since been used in making ties and 

 pulpwood. In cutting spruce and tamarack for these products 

 the best timber for mining purposes has been taken. Un- 

 doubtedly there is still a vast amount of timber left that can 

 be used for "lagging," but such is not the case with the sup-- 

 ply for mining timber, as this necessarily must be of very 

 good grade and of uniform size. As these conditions have 

 taken place very much the same all over the Northern part 

 of this state, therefore relief can be had only temporarily 

 by getting the supply from more distant points. 



Future Supply Must be Grown. 



There remains then but one thing to do and that is to grow 

 the future supply, in the same manner that some of the East- 

 ern railroads are doing and depending on for their ties in the 

 future. In looking about for a suitable and convenient place 

 to carry on this work, a better place could not be found than 

 right here in the back yards, as it were, of these same mines 

 on the two Northern ranges at least. For on the high ground 

 which is largely stony and rocky and will therefore, perhaps, 

 never be farmed to any great extent would be a suitable place 

 for the growing of jack pine. While between the ridges and 

 hills in numerous places, sheltered from the winds to a cer- 

 tain extent, are swamps of various areas with stony bottoms, 

 a fine place to grow spruce and tamarack, and the only thing 

 so far discovered that they are fit for. A great many have al- 

 ready a gooi stand of young timber and could easily be pro- 

 tected. 



The query always arises in most minds when the growing 

 of timber for commercial purposes is spoken of, that it will 

 take a long time to grow. That is true if you take a large 

 log, say from 18 to 24 inches as a standard, but for mining 

 timber this is not necessary. The average log in this work 

 runs from six to ten inches. This size under proper condi- 



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