FOREST CONDITIONS OF NORTHERN 



WISCONSIN. 



The preliminary forest survey of Wisconsin, the principal 

 results of which are here presented, was necessarily made in 

 the form of a census or canvass, collecting the knowledge of 

 the woods, and the experience in actual logging operations of 

 several hundred men, and securing a better interpretation of this 

 information as well as a proper insight into the forestal condi- 

 tions, not usually observed by woodsmen, by personal inspection 

 of typical localities in every county. 



From this it follows that all estimates of areas and yields 

 represent the knowledge of the best informed men, and a f air 

 degree of correctness may be claimed for the same for the reason 

 that each district, at least every county, is represented by a num- 

 ber of competent men, the writer being enabled by personal 

 inspection to weigh, verify, or harmonize conflicting statements. 

 The greatest help came from the practical woodsmen, who, in 

 all parts of the territory, kindly assisted both by verbal infor- 

 mation and by the use of their exhaustive "minutes," many of 

 which fill volumes, and represent an amount of detail infor- 

 mation such as exists for but few parts of our country. 



In this connection it gives the writer pleasure to express his 

 sincerest thanks to all these gentlemen, whose help alone could 

 insure reasonable success to so hasty reconnaissance. The 

 journey through the State occupied over three months, involved 

 one or more trips over nearly every mile of railway passing 

 through this section, besides several hundred miles of travel by 

 wagon. The county-seat of every county was visited and no 

 county received less than two days' attention. 



