CHIEF FIRE WARDEN. 125 



DR. SCHENCK'S REPORT. 



At the invitation of the State Forestry Board of Minne- 

 sota, Dr. C. A. Schehck, Ph. ^D. , trained in the science 

 and practice of German forestry and for several y'ears 

 superintendent of the estate of Mr. Geo. W. Vanderbilt 

 at Biltmore, North Carolina, visited the forest regions of 

 Minn'esota last September and afterwards submitted to 

 the board the following report: 



* 

 The Problem of Forestry in Minnesota. 



ECONOMIC USE OF THE SOIL. 



The possibilities for economic use of soil are threefold. Soil 

 may be devoted to the production of field crops (agriculture), or to 

 the production of animal matter (pasture), or finally to the produc- 

 tion of wood crops (forestry). In America, only agriculture and 

 pasture are considered as soil industries. Land unfit for either of 

 the two is thrown away. Forestry as a remunerative use of national 

 soij is entirely disregarded. In the case of private individuals, 

 ignorance relative to the economic value of forestry can be easily 

 excused. Government itself, be it of democratic, republican or 

 populistic strain, sets the example in dealing carelessly with the 

 forestry problem. 



It has been and is the policy of state and federal government 

 to leave the development of all sections of the country to private 

 enterprise. Under this freedom of action, the agricultural districts 

 have shown an unparalleled raie and steadiness of development. 

 In sections, however, where there is a comparative scarcity of soil 

 fit for such' farming as can compete in the general market, it has 

 been and will be impossible for private enterprise to undertake the 

 development of the whole region. Proof of this statement lies, for in- 

 stance, in the Adirondacks, in the AUeghanies, in the pineries of the 

 Carolinas, and in certain sections of Michigan, Wisconsin and Min- 

 nesota. At the present density of population, the present wages of 

 manual labor and the present prices of field crops, soil of poor 

 quality can be used only for pasture or for sylviculture. Pasture 

 is not practicable, where the wintering of stock cannot be well 

 effected, be it for climatic reasons, be it for lack of winter forage. 

 Pasture is not permissible where it results in rapid deterioration 



