meet conventions and commissions, giving such ad- 

 vice as is needed along any line which any State un- 

 dertakes. In speaking of the work that the Associa- 

 tion can do, he mentioned proper legislation with ref- 

 erence to fire protection as the most important ele- 

 ment connected with successful reforestation. Closely 

 following this is the proper method of taxation, so as 

 to stimulate planting rather than induce the rapid 

 demolition of timber areas. He cited the work of the 

 Pennsylvania Forestry Association as immediately 

 along these lines. As a result of its work, guided by 

 Dr. Rothrock, an immense work had been done in the 

 Appalachian region of Pennsylvania. While the prob- 

 lems connected with Michigan are entirely different 

 because we lack the mountains here, the questions in- 

 volved are fully .as important and require as great 

 thought and careful business management. 



Hon. John Patton was called upon 

 Other and responded in a very sympathetic, 



Men brief address, expressing his desire that 



Approve the Association should succeed in what 



he believed was a most important work 

 to be done in the State. 



Hon. W. I. Latimer, of Big Rapids, had been con- 

 nected with State interests for a good many years, and 

 had watched with sorrow the gradually decreasing 

 forest area in the State, and was glad to be identified' 

 with a movement for restoration. 



Judge Riley, of Detroit, in response to a call, said 

 that he had taken an academic interest in forestry un- 

 der the inspiration of Prof. Roth's effective addresses, 

 and was surprised to learn of the wonderful things 

 which had been accomplished in the way of reforesta- 

 tion in foreign countries, and the opportunities which 

 we possessed of successfully following similar methods 

 of activity in Michigan. He had come out here from 

 Detroit to show his loyalty to Prof. Roth, and the 

 other gentlemen who were so earnestly advocating 

 principles in connection with a cause which meant so 

 much to Michigan. 



Jas. R. Wylie, of Grand Rapids, gave a somewhat 

 caustic criticism of the methods which had been 

 adopted by lumbermen and the effect of clearing the 

 lands of valuable timber and allowing them to go back 

 to the State for taxes, and the effect of this method 

 upon the morals of the people who had to do with 

 State lands. In connection with the rapid deforesta- 

 tion, our drainage laws had in their administration 

 succeeded in creating a condition the disastrous re- 

 sults of which had been apparent in the floods at Grand 

 Rapids during the last few years. 



Prof. C. D. Smith, of the Michigan Experiment Sta- 

 tion, expressed his warm sympathy with the organiza- 

 tion of a Forestry Association, saying that the Ex- 

 periment Station was ready to co-operate in any pos- 

 sible way, indicating that along the line of insect 

 ravages and the injurious effect of tree diseases the 

 station could be useful in making observations and 

 experiments and would be glad to extend to the Asso- 

 ciation its good offices along these scientific lines. 



Mr. H. H. Gibson, of Chicago, representing The 

 Hardwood Record, expressed in a very effective way 

 his interest in the reforestation enterprise in Michigan. 

 His position had rendered it possible to .secure some- 

 thing of an idea of the rapid defores- 

 A tation to supply the many demands for 



Commercial lumber material in our State. He 



Proposition loved trees, and enjoyed the discus- 



sion of the sentimental side of tree 

 growth, but reforestation must be a commercial propo- 



