76 THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, 



region, absolutely destroys most of these trees in the area burned over. 

 Such loss is commonly regarded as of no consequence to the State or 

 the owners of the land; in reality, it is most serious; the land is dam- 

 aged by the destruction of vegetable accumulations, the growth of the 

 number of years which the trees have developed, is entirely lost, and, 

 in many cases, from the lack of living, mature trees, in the region 

 around, reseeding for these species can never take place, unless the 

 expensive artificial planting is resorted to. 



Again, while the land is capable of restocking itself, with some kinds 

 of trees, and of supporting these to maturity, every fire which sweeps 

 over them, causes them to become less capable of supporting thrifty 

 growth of valuable kinds for timber purposes. 



While I have seen no cut-over areas in Michigan, except bare rock 

 hills, which could not produce, if protected from fire, some kind of 

 marketable tree growth, those areas which have been burned over fre- 

 quently show very little promise of producing wood of any value for 

 long periods to come. 



Yours very truly, 



Chas. A. Davis. 



Detroit, Mich., March 13, 1908. 



There is no question in my mind but what, if a more careful super- 

 vision was carried out as to fire protection and trespass in connection 

 with cut-over lands, a natural new forest growth would come up which 

 would be of a good deal of value. There is quite a lot of old cut-over 

 pine and Norway lands in Presque Isle county which, if protected, 

 would produce a new crop without planting. These lands, I have 

 noticed during the twelve years I have been lumbering in Presque Isle 

 county, show a decidedly promising growth at times and then flres 

 will sweep over them and it seems to burn off the young, promising 

 tops, and it takes two or three years before they come up, and then not 

 as promising as at first, and many of the small white pine and Norway 

 seem to have their roots burned and never come up again. 



Yours truly, 



H. Leonard Wilton. 



Traverse City, .Mich., March 14, 1908. 



I have observed, quite frequently, the second growth, that springs 

 up after land has been cut over; this condition is quite noticeable in 

 different localities; frequent fires destroy this growth, so that only 

 here and there where the fires are infrequent does the growth have an 

 opportunity to reach any considerable size; there are, however, small 

 tracts here and there where the second growth has attained consider- 

 able size, in our own and Kalkaska county. 



From my observation, the reproduction of the pine, on the cut-over 

 pine lands, is more spontaneous than the hard woods. It is, however. 



