CHIEF FIRE WARDEN. 39 



and that two-thirds of township 60, range 9 west, and township 61, 

 range 5 west, are vacant. 



I inclose a map of these lands, with notes showing their charac- 

 ter, compiled from the field notes in the United States Surveyor 

 General's office of this state. 



I make this recommendation for the following reasons: 



1. The land has a general elevation of about 1,200 feet above 

 Lake Superior, is generally hilly and rocky and more valuable for 

 the production of timber than for agriculture. It is natural timber 

 land, but much of the original timber was killed by fires many 

 years ago. Its soil is only third or fourth rate, and the fact that, 

 although fairly accessible, none of it has been taken by settlers, 

 is of itself evidence that it is undesirable for agricultural purposes. 



2. The benefit that will accrue to Minnesota by having this waste 

 and vacant land utilized for forestry purposes. Everyone knows 

 that the supply of pine timber in Minnesota is fast diminishing. 

 Already several kinds of lumber from the Pacific coast are com- 

 peting here with our home products; and, as our home supply 

 decreases, the price of lumber from the coast will be advanced. 

 Dearness of lumber will tend to retard the development of 

 agricultural lands, farmers being among the principal consumers of 

 lumber. On this land proposed to be created a forest reserve, 

 it will require about eighty years for pine timber to grow to mer- 

 chantable size. The population of the United States in eighty 

 years from now, according to the estimate of the most competent 

 judges, based on our past history, will be 320,000,000. Everyone 

 can see that the demand for lumber will then be very much 

 greater than at present. 



3. The land in question contains many fine lakes and streams, 

 and will, if administered as a forest reserve, prove valuable also 

 as a fish and game preserve. 



4. The educational effect of such a reserve would be useful in 

 promoting forest economy in this state. 



5. I have been reflecting upon this matter for over a year. I 

 have also seen occasional expressions in the public press favoring 

 a forest reserve to include some of the highlands north of Lake 

 Superior. I have examined the Government plats of all the sur- 

 veyed lands in Minnesota north of Lake Superior, and those here- 

 in contained are about the only lands that are available from 

 being vacant. This is the only opportunity (outside of Indian 

 reservations) of securing a number of townships in a body in this 

 state for a forest reserve. Of course it is understood that the 



