392 ECONOMICS OF FORESTRY. 



The third state falling in line is Michigan. It 

 began in 1887 by constituting the State Board of 

 Agriculture a forestry commission of inquiry, but 

 the report of the commission, published in 1888, 

 remained without immediate effect In 1899, a 

 permanent forestry commission of three was ap- 

 pointed, whose duty was in the first place also 

 merely one of inquiry, with the requirement to 

 submit in 1901 a bill "to carry out the objects 

 for which this commission is appointed," but also 

 empowering the commission to have withdrawn 

 from sale, temporarily, 200,000 acres of " state tax 

 homestead lands and swamplands belonging to the 

 state," and to receive from private owners dona- 

 tions of land. The commission presented a most 

 admirable bill to carry out the forest reservation 

 policy, but the bill was defeated, largely through 

 the farming element. Nevertheless, the commis- 

 sion secured a forest reservation of 70,000 acres, 

 and the progress of this policy is well assured, 

 although progress will probably be slow on ac- 

 count of ignorant or selfish obstructionists. 



In Minnesota a law was enacted in 1901, setting 

 aside as a state forest reserve all lands unfit for 

 agriculture that reverted to the state through 

 delinquent taxes before 1891 ; but legislation, hav- 

 ing in view the creation of forest boards and forest 

 reserve areas under rather unique conditions, 

 which was introduced in the legislature in 1897, 

 failed to become law. 



