Prof. C. D. Lawton puts the case well 

 Trees a as follows: 



Factor "One of the important facts about 



the farmer's life is, or should be, its 

 independence; is the fact that, beyond any other call- 

 ing in life, the farmer is sufficient unto himself; that 

 is, that he can raise upon his farm, cause his farm to 

 yield to him, so much that is essential for the support 

 and comfort of himself and family. Eliminate this 

 fact, have the farmer where others are, and you ab- 

 stract from his calling one* of its chief charms. The 

 farmer's life should be an independent one. He 

 should ever plan that his estate yield him as many of 

 the necessities and the luxuries of life as the condi- 

 tions will allow; and among the chief of these is fuel. 

 His farm should contain a good woodlot. If there is 

 one on the farm, he should care for it; and if there is 

 not, it is his duty to raise one. This can easily be 

 done in Michigan. Trees grow very rapidly. The 

 years come and go in quick succession, and if but one 

 takes the initiative and plants young trees, the time 

 will seem to be but short ere they become of consider- 

 able size. How fortunate it would be for the people 

 of our State if the farmers would seriously take hold 

 of this most important matter of preserving the tim- 

 ber which they have on their farms and planting out 

 to supply, when they have it not." 



Dr. W. J. Beal, the persistent pio- 

 How to neer in Michigan Forestry has this 



Dolt practical word : 



"What is to be done with that 

 twenty acres which is reserved as a woodlot? Keep 

 out all grazing animals, encourage young trees to 

 come in thickly. If necessary, plant seeds or young 

 trees about the thin places of the margin. Do not be 

 worried if the young trees crowd each other; this is 

 necessary to make the stems run up tall. Low beeches, 

 blue beeches, bass woods, box elders, or shrubbery 

 are desirable to shade the ground, hold dead leaves in 

 place, and keep out the sun, but they should not be 

 permitted to extend their tops as high as the tops of 

 trees that are to be allowed to remain. A tall beech 

 is not a tree that any farmer should care to grow. The 

 timber is not very valuable, the tree grows too slowly, 

 and the dense shade of the leaves smothers other trees. 

 "The minute a farmer begins to study and to prac- 

 tice on his patch of forest trees, that moment he be- 

 gins to observe what others are doing, and he becomes 

 interested in the cut-over land that belongs to the 

 State, and can be depended upon to do his part in se- 

 curing proper legislation, including appropriations, to 

 help carry out the improvements. Henceforth, how 

 many owners of land here present dare commit them- 

 selves on this question of making a diligent effort to 

 obtain a woodlot that shall be a perpetual satisfaction 

 to its owner and a model for the whole neighborhood? 

 Please think of your woodlot, and do the best you can 

 to improve it." 



The following letter was written by Mr. H. N. Loud, 

 of Au Sable, to John H. Bissell, president of the Mich- 

 igan Forestry Association, and was suggested by the 

 outlCne of work proposed for the Association by the 

 president : 



"The suggestion for a large mem- 

 Member- bership is entirely in line and this work 

 ship must be carried on especially in the 

 forest counties themselves, and the 

 supervisors and county and township officers should 

 be interested in the movement and realize that there 

 is as much benefit to the counties themselves in the 

 raising of forests where forests alone are to be grown, 

 as to attempt to induce a farming proposition on sandy 



