if it is the duty of the governmeflt to bo shape ita policy as to secure the 

 greatest good to the greatest numbers, it surely cannot be deficient in 

 authority to act in a matter of so much importance. 



A state that finds authority to regulate the times and seasons when its 

 citizens may catch fish, or shoot game, may certainly assume such as may be 

 needed to preserve the civilization of the present times ; it would requir'e 

 no greater stretch of power to regulate the cutting of timber where it would 

 obviously entail a public calamity, or to encourage its production where it is 

 so much needed for the public good, 



On« of the most serious evils this state has to contend With is the pur- 

 chase of large tracts of land by persons who reside in some other states, or 

 who, if residing here, still have no permanent and living interest in the 

 land. It is purchased by such persons, not for the ordinary, legitimate and 

 proper purpose of converting it into a fatm or homestead for himself and 

 family, but solely with a view of stripping it of its valuable timber. Leav- 

 ing the worthless trees and bushes to encumber the ground, he sells it for 

 what it is worth, and renews his depredations upon other lands. He builds 

 fine houses in a distant place — he destroys the fair face of nature here. 

 Surely there should be some means devised to compel such men to spare at 

 least a belt of these noble trees for the purposes contemplated in this re- 

 port. Their interest should be made to yield to that of the men who are to 

 become the permanent occupants of, the land, and whose interest in the 

 state will induce them to improve and adorn it, rather than to injure and 

 destroy it. 



EXPERIMENTS NEEDlgD. 



There are many questions with regard to the growth of trees Within this 

 state ; their effect upon the local climate, and the production of crops ; what 

 trees are best suited to our soil and climale; what improvement, if any, can 

 be made in the quality of wood by cultivation, &c., which can only be satis- 

 factorily answered by a series of careful experiments on a large Scale, and 

 continued through a long time. Such experiments could best be made on 

 the Experimental Farm about to be established in connection with the State 

 University. Every valuable tree that will grow in this state should find a 

 place there, and all material facts in regard to their culture and use ascer- 

 tained and made known. 



The principal facts in regard to the climate of Wisconsin should be more 

 accurately ascertained and made known. Very many observations have 

 been made and recorded at different localities, and extending over a great 

 number of years ; but to render them useful they should be collected and 

 published in a volume, and their full import deduced by a careful study and 

 comparison of their results, 



These observations might be made at each of the normal and other higher 

 public schools of the state, as part of the eonaideration fbr the amount of 



