404 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION. 



October, 



aspects of irrigation through his strong presentation of the importance of the 

 construction of irrigation works b}' the federal government. In the earlj^ part 

 of the meeting the cause he advocated seemed to be hopelessly outnumbered ; but 

 by his clear, logical presentation of the facts and the persistent representation of 

 the importance of the matter, the convention was finallj^ won over to his views. 



From that time on Mr. Maxwell may be regarded as the central figure and 

 leader in the national irrigation movement. He continued at subsequent irriga- 

 tion congresses to urge appropriations by Congress for the construction of irri- 

 gation works, and believing that this could only be brought about by a more 

 .systematic action than that possible through the National Irrigation Congress, 

 he organized The National Irrigation Association, a body composed of substantial 

 business men. With funds assured through the activity of its members, this 

 association, under the direction of Mr. Maxwell, was able to carry on a vigorous 

 and effective campaign of education. Thousands of personal letters were sent 

 out under the general scheme devised by Mr. Maxwell, and the manufacturers of 

 the East, the men having investments in railroads, the cotton planters of the 

 South, the labor unions, and many others interested in the development of the 

 countr}' and the making of more homes, responded liberally to the appeals, not 

 only for money, but in personal presentation of the importance of the matter to 

 their Members of Congress. The result was what might be expected, and it was 

 only a matter of time when Congress must yield to the demands of the business 

 interests of the country. 



The result of the effective organization and campaign carried on by Mr. 

 Maxwell is seen in the passage of the reclamation law of June 17, 1902. A recent 

 complimentary banquet tendered Mr. Maxwell at Eos Angeles, California, at 

 which a number of men prominent in national and state affairs were present, 

 testifies to the high appreciation of his services in this connection. 



THE MICHIGAN FOREST RESERVE.* 



By Thomas H. vSherkard, 



Bureau of Forestry. 



THE Michigan Forest Reserve in- 

 cludes about 60,000 acres of scat- 

 tered lands in ten townships in the west- 

 ern half of Roscommon county and in 

 two townships in Crawford county. 

 Higgins and Houghton Lakes, around 

 which the reserved lands lie, are the 

 headwaters of the Muskegon River, 

 while the northern end of the reserve 

 extends over into the watershed of the 

 Au Sable River. In the southern half 

 of the reserve, around Houghton Eake, 

 the land is low and often swampy over 

 large areas ; but the shores of Higgins 

 Eake are higher, and the topography 

 in the northern half is rolling. Eow 

 ridges alternate with flat, sand}' plains 

 and swamps. The geological forma- 



tion is glacial. The soils are chiefl\' 

 .sands and gravels of poor quality, unfit 

 for agriculture. The region is for the 

 most part uninhabited, although at a 

 few points the vicinity supports a scat- 

 tered population. 



The original forest on these lands 

 comprised magnificent stands of White 

 and Norway Pine. The character of 

 this forest is shown by the accompany- 

 ing illustration (Fig. i), taken on the 

 lands of the Thayer Lumber Company, 

 which immediately adjoin the reserve 

 on the west. 



An examination of the reserve during 

 tlie summer of 1901 by the Bureau of 

 Forestry, in cooperation with the Michi- 

 gan Forestry Commission, included a 



*Read at the summer meeting of the American Forestry Association, held at Lansing, Mich., 

 August 27 and 28, 1902. 



