THE FORESTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 559 



of 15 cords of wood to the acre, or 57,600,000 cords. The cut for the census year ending May 31, 1880 (exclusive of 

 7,825,000 staves and 547,000 sets of headings), was 36,884,000 feet. 



Minnesota is the eighth state in the importance of its lumber-manufacturing interests. The principal centers, 

 of manufacture are Minneapolis, upon the Mississippi river, the Saint Croix river in Washington county, ther 

 Mississippi river in Anoka county, and Duluth, near the mouth of the Saint Louis river. 



The following is extracted from Mr. Putnam's report upon the forests of Minnesota: 



"The great hard-wood forest of Minnesota lies to the south and west of the pine forest, extending north and 

 northwest from Ereeborn and Mower counties on the southeast into Marshall county, and to within 50 or 60 miles of 

 the boundary-line between Canada and the United States. This body of hard wood, which is some 300 miles long 

 by about 20 miles wide, borders upon the prairie, and is the extreme western body of timber of any commercial 

 value east of the Rocky mountains. This forest covers about 3,840,000 acres of land generally valuable for 

 agricultural //urposes, besides its timber, which will average about 15 cords to the acre. The surface of the land 

 is level or geutiy undulating, well watered, particularly the so-called 'park region ' which lies in Becker, Otter Tail, 

 Douglas, Steams, and Todd counties, and in fact extends through Wright, Hennepin, Carver, Le Sueur, Eice, and 

 Steele counties. 



" JTorth and east of this belt of hard wood the pine forests commence at a point where the southern line of the 

 Wisconsin forest crosses the Saint Croix river, near Taylor's Falls. They extend northwesterlj- through the counties 

 of Chisago, Isanti, Mille Lacs, Benton, Morrison, Todd, Otter Tail, Becker, Polk, and Beltrami, nearly parallel to 

 the line of the hard-wood forest, and, crossing Red Lake river, extend round to the north of Red lake, and thence 

 easterly, reaching the shore of lake Superior at the Grand Portage. 



" The general character of the pine in Minnesota is similar to that of northern Wisconsin, although it contains 

 more sapling pine and a smaller percentage of ' uppers.' It is generally somewhat scattering and in smaller groves. 

 Large areas of barren land within the forest proper are covered with birch, through which are scattered patches of 

 small pine, while large areas of swamp bear only tamarack and cedar. The pine of Minnesota is estimated as 

 follows : 



"1. On the portion tributary to the Rainy lake and Rainy Lake river, including the Big Fork, the Little Fork, 

 and the Vermillion rivers, 300,000,000 feet. This stands upon streams which flow northward. This pine will 

 naturally be sent to Manitoba. 



"2. On the northern shore of lake Superior, east of Duluth, and covering the waters tributary to lake Superior, 

 of which very little is surveyed and no area is given, 870,000,000 feet. 



" 3. On the waters of the Saint Louis, including the Cloquet, White Face, and other small streams, 3,500,000,000 

 feet. 



"4, Ou Red Lake river and its tributaries. The great body of pine in this division is principally upon Red lake 

 and Red Lake river. It is estimated to contain 600,000,000 feet, although it is nearly all unsurveyed. 



"5. On the Mississippi river and tributaries above Minneapolis, 2,900,000,000 feet. 



"About one-half of the pine has been cut in Carlton county ; it has all been cut in Pine county with the 

 exception of that growing in a few townships. It has nearly all been cut in Chisago, Kanabec, Morrison, and 

 Crow Wing counties. A great deal of pine, too, has been cut in Cass county, while Todd, Otter Tail, and Wadena 

 have all been cut over. The principal bodies of pine now remaining are located in Cook, Lake, Saint Louis, Cass, 

 Itasca, and Beltrami counties. There were a few thousand acres growing on the Roseau river, where it runs into 

 northwestern Minnesota, but this has all been cut by the Canadians. There is no hemlock or spruce in Minnesota. 

 There are occasional ridges of hard wood within the pine forest, as in Wisconsin and Michigan. 



"A large portion of the northern part of the state is as yet unsurveyed and but little known, except that, in 

 the region extending from 30 toUOO miles south from the international line, there is little pine of commercial value. 

 It is an open country, full of bogs, swamps, rocks, and wide areas of worthless land ; this region extends from the 

 Arrow river clear through to the international line, south and west of the Lake of the Woods, and to the Vermillion 

 lake. 



"Along the line of the Northern Pacific railroad and north and east of the Mille Lacs country are large swamps . 

 covered with tamarack timber of commercial value. Through this country are many marshy lakes containing floating 

 islands, lands in process of formation by the accumulation of vegetation. The timber in this district is giowing and 

 increasing, and if fires can be kept out of the tamarack and cedar timber the small pine will grow rapidly. 



" The timber which grew on the Saint Croix river in Minnesota was tributary to Stillwater, and has all been , 

 cut and manufactured there. 



" The principal manufactories of pine on the Mississippi river are at Minneapolis. 



"FORESTS ON INDIAN EESEEVATIONS. 



"Beferiing to the Red Lake Indian reservation in Minnesota, and other Indian reservations on which the pine 

 remains uncut, amounting in the aggregate to 1,000,000,000 feet, it may be said that they are nearly all unsurveyed, . 

 and are generally covered with a heavy pine forest, and that the lands are unfit for agricultural purposes and only. 



