American Forestry Association 



353 



members of the Michigan Forestry Com- 

 mission, Messrs Charles W. Garfield, 

 Arthur Hill, and Edwin A. Wildey. 



While the papers read and discussed 

 at the meeting were selected largely be- 

 cause of their application to practical 

 problems in forestry and forest manage- 

 ment which today confront the people 

 of Michigan and adjacent states, yet it is 



believed they contain much information 

 of interest to members of the National 

 Geographical Society. We present be- 

 low short abstracts of the more impor- 

 tant papers. The papers and the dis- 

 cussion thereon will doubtless appear in 

 future numbers of Forestry and Irriga- 

 tion. 



A. J. H. 



THE MICHIGAN FOREST PRESERVE 

 BY THOS. H. SHERRARD, 



BUREAU OF FORESTRY 



Mr Sherrard's paper gave a general 

 description of the physical character- 

 istics of the Michigan Forest Preserve 

 and an idea of the original forests of 

 magnificent white and Norway pine 

 which the preserve once supported. 

 The existing forest covering was classed 

 tinder five types — swamp, jack pine 

 plain, oak flat, oak ridge, and hardwood 

 land. A scale map was exhibited, show- 

 ing the distribution of these types in a 

 representative township, and an esti- 

 mate was given of the possible produc- 

 tion of a second crop of timber on these 

 lands, based upon the measurement of 

 existing; second growth. An organiza- 



tion was recommended for the practical 

 management of the preserve, which it 

 was estimated would cost $3,000 a year, 

 or five cents per acre. The prime neces- 

 sity for the maintenance of a fire service 

 during dangerous seasons was urged. 

 The offer of cooperation by the Bureau 

 of Forestry with state organizations 

 was explained, which affords an oppor- 

 tunity for perfecting a sound forest 

 management for the preserve. Mr 

 Sherrard gave an instance of the coop- 

 eration of the Bureau of Forestry with a 

 private owner in the management of 

 100,000 acres of cut-over hardwood 

 forest in northern Michigan. 



RELATION OF SOILS TO DISTRIBUTION OF FORESTS IN MIDDLE 



MICHIGAN 



BY PROF. BURTON E. LIVINGSTON, Ph. D., 



OF BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 



Prof. Burton E. Livingston, of the 

 Botanical Department, University of 

 Chicago, summarized the results of a 

 number of years of study of the flora 

 of the southern and middle counties of 

 the state, and especially of a detailed 

 study of plant distribution in Kent 

 county made last 3 - ear. A similar study 

 of Crawford and Roscommon counties 

 is now being made by him. The con- 

 clusions reached by Professor Living- 

 ston were mainly these : 



( 1 ) The nature of the soil determines 

 the nature of the forest. 



(2) Variations in the chemical nature 

 of the soil are probably not effective in 

 this way in a region of glacial drift. 



(3) Variations in the physical nature 

 of the soil are probably the main factor 

 in determining our' forest distribution. 

 By physical nature is meant the power 

 of a soil to retain moisture, its so-called 

 " capillary power." The results of an 

 excess or deficiency in moisture is shown 



