100 STATE OF MICHIGAN. 



Of tlie other trees mentioned, it is probable that the bass wood will 

 be one that will be used much more extensively in the future than it 

 has been hitherto for plantations, because of its rapid growth, its 

 dense crown and the value of its wood for various purposes in small 

 sizes, for while it has no value as post or pole timber, it is in demand 

 in the form of small sized bolts for the manufacture of excelsior, cooper- 

 age stock and other small materials for which there is a constant de- 

 mand and for which this wood is particularly adapted. The great free- 

 dom with which the species sprouts from the root-crown makes it the 

 more valuable for plantation purposes, since by this means reproduction 

 is assured. 



As has been mentioned above, the poplars are all rapid growing species, 

 but most of them are small even at maturity and some species are very 

 subject to disease. The cottonwood, however, grows to large size and 

 its wood may be utilized for lumber for various purposes and for pulp 

 wood. In fact, where there is a demand for it all species of poplar in 

 all sizes above three inches, may be sold to be made into wood pulp, 

 but as the markets are at present in most localities, it is difficult to 

 sell the wood in small quantities except for fuel. The wood of various 

 cone-bearing trees, the spruces especially, might be grown quickly on 

 the riglit kinds of soil to such size that it would be suitable for pulp 

 wood and unless some substitute for wood is discovered eventually the 

 pulp mills will have to depend to a considerable extent upon planted 

 timber for their supplies and then local markets will be developed. 



The most likely way to secure quick returns from plantations of coni- 

 fers, is to grow them for greens for the winter holidays and for Christ- 

 mas trees and for these purposes the various spruces, the balsams the 

 arbor vitae and the hemlock are well adapted and make sufficiently 

 rapid growth so that they could be marketed at from five to twenty 

 years after transplanting into the plantation. The greater beauty and 

 symmetry of such trees would give them an advantage over forest- 

 grown specimens, and the fact that a certain supply could be assured, 

 would encourage dealers in the cities to make a market for such a 

 product. 



Under certain conditions of natural growth large numbers of small 

 poles of various species of the broad-leaved or hardwood trees develop 

 upon areas which it is desirable either to thin or to restock with other 

 species and under such circumstances the poles may be converted into 

 barrel hoops with profit, but it is very doubtful if any of our native 

 trees could be planted and harvested for hoop poles at a reasonable 

 profit to the owner of the land. On the other hand, stakes for grape 

 vines, hop vine poles, and mine props are forms of small material which 

 should find ready sale in certain parts of the State and give good 

 returns. 



The ]irodu(tiou of fire-wood is a method of securing quick returns 

 which should be more often considered than it has been in the past. 

 Here quantity of wood, rather than quality, will count much more in 

 the future than at present, when there are still forest-grown supplies 

 of the better sorts of wood to be drawn upon for fuel. Even now the 

 difference in iirice between the best hard woods and the inferior soft 

 woods, when sold for fuel, is not great enough to offset the difference 



