FORESTRY COMMISSION. 103 



AX OBJECT LESSON IN GROWING FIRE WOOD. 



BY LYilAN A. LILLY, PETOSKEY, MICH. 



If we should compare the area of limber lands in this State at the 

 present time with that of forty years ago and then estimate what it 

 will be fort>- years hence we should not only be surprised but alarmed 

 at the outlook. 



While the people of each generation can look out for their present 

 needs for food and raiment the future generations will be dependent 

 on the present generations for their sup])ly of fuel and building material. 



The land owner, whether it be the State, corporation or individual, 

 must be the one to take up, consider and solve this question. 



The State lias its duties to perform in looking after the lands under 

 its control. Firms and corporations would do well to protect the young 

 timber that will come np on lands that are too poor for general farming. 

 And the ^Michigan farmer would profit by taking a trip through the 

 prairie states and see the groves that surround the buildings and pro- 

 tect them from the heat in the summer and from the winter storms and 

 furnish a little timber for use on the farm. 



To wait for trees to grow sufficiently large to be cut for fuel is dis- 

 couraging to many, but time moves on and before we realize it ten 

 years havt- past and where then we had a small sapling, now we have 

 a tree that commands our respect. 



In the spring of 18S6 I bought a farm that had been stripped of all 

 its native timber. Some years previous to my purchase the owner had 

 set out a willow hedge on three sides of a square forty acres of muck 

 land and at the time I went on the place some of the trees were eight 

 inches through and thirty feet high. In the course of a year or two I began 

 to cut this hedge and use it for summer fuel. The willoM' cuts and 

 splits easily, dries very quickly and makes a very hot fire, but does not 

 last long, but when the good housewife gets used to it, she finds she 

 has a quick, hot fire and is soon out of the way when she is throug;h 

 with it, and is altogether quite satisfactory. 



The willow after being cut sprouts from the stump, but does not 

 spread from the root, and grows very lapidly, the second and succeeding 

 trees growing much quicker than the first on account of having the 

 benefit of the strong root. 



I cut what I needed each year and by the time I got around the 

 second crop was ready and it would average as heavy as the first and 

 would measure up a cord for each rod in length of hedge. 



This hedge answered for a fence and furnished shade for stock. For 

 live posts the willow is well adapted, as it will stand any amount of 

 rough treatment and need not be allowed to grow any more than you 

 ■wish it to. At the present price of fence posts in the older parts of the 



