86 THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, 



acres : everything indicates that, if undisturbed, the tract will have a 

 thicker growth of merchantable pine on it in years to come than the 

 one which was taken off; but any dry time in the next twenty years a 

 match will wipe it out in a few hours. 



While there are certain, so called, pine plains of very light, sandy 

 soil, from which good pine was once cut, which never seems to reforest 

 with anything but a stunted growth of Jack pine, I think we can safely 

 say that most of the lands of this section which were cut over more 

 than twenty-flve years ago would be today reforested with a growth of 

 some kind of merchantable timber, were it not for the periodical fires 

 Avbich have denuded them. 



F. H. Steere. 



Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., March 16, 1908. 



I have charge of about two thousand acres of land bought in 1878 

 of the government by P. E. Roach in Tow^n 45, 2 West. This tract was 

 bought because it had been cleared by a succession of fires and at the 

 time was almost fit for the plow so well had the several fires done their 

 work. 



About from ten to fifteen years ago much of it was covered with small 

 evergreens, fit for Christmas trees. This season pulp-wood has been 

 cut from said land. 



Another tract of about the same size and about twelve miles to the 

 north, you will remember, was bought for $1.00 an acre after the pine 

 had been taken therefrom. This was in '84. Since, the land has been 

 cut over three times and is held today at |7.00 per acre, the timber 

 standing thereon being its only value. 



I have talked with several of the farmers about here, and. all agree 

 that all the lands in this county would reforest themselves if protected 

 from fires and trespass. 



Go where you will on the sandy soil or the heavier clay soil that 

 is not under cultivation or pasture and one will see young pine, spruce, 

 balsam, tamrack, white wood, popple, birch and maple. 



Yours truly, 



John A. Colwell. 



Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., March 16, 1908. 



I came to Chippewa county thirty-two years ago and bought 320 acres 

 of land covered with dead timber — remnants of previous fires. Soon 

 after purchasing I started the last fire which burned the entire tract 

 almost clean. I put all my land under cultivation within the next four 

 seasons. 



Some of the adjoining land was allowed to grow to tamarack, balsam 

 and spruce, also white-wood. This winter they have been cutting from 

 this land, timber for barns and saw-logs from eight inches to twelve 

 inches through. It was very pretty timber. The logs straight and 

 clear. 



