WHILE many citizens in Minnesota have been wonder- 

 ing whether reforestration was possible in Northern 

 Minnesota, forest experts employed by the state for- 

 est service, the forestry school of the university and the gov- 

 ernment have been busy planting hundreds of thousands of 

 trees. The planting of 160,000 trees, for example has just 

 been completed in Burntside state forest, under the direction 

 of the state forest service. 



On the north side of Burntside lake and west of Crab lake, 

 on rough, rocky, purely non-agricultural land, these trees 

 have been planted. The tracts for planting had to be care- 

 fully selected. In some cases, the tree planters had to hunt 

 for places where the small trees could be placed. This is 

 the type oi the land that the proposed amendment to the state 

 constitution seeks to have set aside for purely forestry pur- 

 poses. It is unfit i'or agriculture or grazing. 



Use of Spades Impossible. 



The small trees, averaging six inches in height were planted 

 with the use of a grub hoe or "mattock." Two men were 

 employed together. One used the "mattock" to open the hole. 

 The other one, carrying a pail full of trees, followed him and 

 put in the small tree. It was impossible to use a spade be- 

 cause of the rocky condition of the land. 



A crew of 20 men were em.ployed under the supervision of 

 A. F. Oppel of the state forest service. Two men planting 

 can put in on the average of 1,800 to 2,000 trees per day. It 

 took two weeks to finish the work at Burntside. Most of the 

 planters were Finns. 



The trees were spaced six feet apart, about 1,200 to the 

 acre. Some were planted in groves of popple. The rest was 

 put in open stands. 



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