some of our poorest lands, and set an example of economical 

 management that would be helpful to individuals and to the 

 State. Our work must of necessity be very slow, because we 

 can go no faster than popular intelligence is awakened on 

 forestry matters. It would be perfectly feasible for some 

 public-spirited citizens to set aside an endowment fund to 

 cover the continuous expenses of, and to manage a consider- 

 able tract of cut-over lands after the most approved forestry 

 methods, which have been evolved by a long period of experi- 

 ence in other countries, and thus help the Commission more 

 effectively than by any other means. 



The Commission is happy to learn that there seems to be a 

 desire on the part of some of our wealthy citizens, whose for- 

 tunes have been cut from Michigan's forest heritage, and who 

 are mindful of the future of the State, to take hold of the 

 investigation of forestry methods in foreign lands and make a 

 practical application of the ideas that will be most promising 

 in the prosecution of the work within our borders. The Com- 

 mission hopes that this thought will materialize into an active 

 movement for carrying on a useful and successful investiga- 

 tion. In this connection the Commission is happy to learn that 

 an ex-governor of our State, who has been interested in the 

 problem of reforestation, has suggested that the State of 

 Michigan should select from its citizenship men who would 

 be willing to enter upon an investigation of foreign methods 

 of reforestation, at their own expense, having in view a more 

 successful prosecution of the work in our own State. In the 



interest of the work we arc trying to do, the members of our 

 Commission earnestly desire that you will, as executive of the 

 State, take this matter up immediately and by virtue of the 

 authority which is in your hands act upon this suggestion, 

 which has come from one of our most public-spirited citizens, 

 and make a selection of a commission for investigation, with 

 the authority of the State behind it, to report possibly some- 

 thing of immediate value that shall aid the next legislature 

 in promoting a far-reaching plan of reforestation for our 

 State. The Commission is grateful to the executive of the 

 State for the kind words he has uttered in connection with 

 the work it is carrying on, and it is glad to say in this connec- 

 tion that the departments of State which are now under the 

 direction of the Auditor General and Commissioner of Land 

 Office the departments which are most interested in lands 

 which shall be used for forestry purposes in the State are 

 working harmoniously with the Commission and assisting the 

 members in their efforts to do the wisest thing for the State 

 in the management of its wide area of lands that eventually 

 should be covered with forest growth. 



The Commission desires to make one suggestion, that can 

 be carried out in the near future, if it meets with your appro- 

 bation, and which it seems to us will be effective in awakening 

 a great interest in our work among the children ; we refer to 

 the matter of educating the children in their Arbor Day 

 exercises with reference to the beneficial influences of forests 

 upon agriculture and horticulture, as well as giving practical 



