354 The National Geographic Magazine 



in swamps and barren lands, while tracts 

 moderately drained are covered with a 

 heavy forest growth. 



(4) The capillary power of a sandy 

 soil may be increased by the addition of 

 either clay or humus. 



FOREST BOTANY SUGGESTS WHAT FOR THE NEW FORESTS OF 



MICHIGAN ? 



BY PROF. CHARLES A. DAVIS, 



UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 



Professor Davis presented a number 

 of suggestions for improvement of forest 

 conditions in Michigan in the light of 

 forest botany. These suggestions may 

 be summarized as. follows : 



(1) All vegetation which will grow 

 should be protected in order that the 

 soil may be covered. 



(2) Tree species, especially such as 

 will grow on lands of the class avail- 

 able, must be protected from fire and 

 cattle in order to reach commercial ma- 

 turity. 



(3) The tree species now growing 

 upon these lands serve as nurse trees 

 and soil cover until more valuable kinds 



can reestablish themselves, and will be- 

 come a source of revenue if allowed to- 

 develop. 



(4) The white pine will grow upon, 

 much of this land, and there is no foun- 

 dation for the current popular belief that 

 this species will not grow in old pineries. 



(5) Belts of oak and poplar, both of 

 which grow readily and are somewhat 

 resistant to fire, could be planted for 

 fire protection. 



(6) Foreign species, or those from 

 other parts of the country or other soil 

 conditions, should not be extensively 

 planted until thoroughly tested in ex- 

 perimental tracts. 



THE MANAGEMENT OF MICHIGAN HARDWOOD FORESTS 

 BY WALTER C. WINCHESTER, 



GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN 



Mr Winchester's view of the forests 

 of Michigan was that of the practical 

 lumberman. He described the condi- 

 tions at present existing, and reviewed 

 the operations of the lumber industries. 

 " The lumberman buying timber lands 

 today," said Mr Winchester, " is nat- 

 urally not in sympathy with the princi- 

 ples of forestry." All the products of 

 the forest are utilized; even the ferns 

 growing in the timber are picked and 

 sold in the Chicago market to florists. 

 In Mr Winchester's view the taxes on 

 timber lands are very high, and some 



remedy must be found in the way of a 

 rebate of taxes to persons who are will- 

 ing to hold their lands after cutting off 

 the mature timber. In his opinion, the 

 undergrowth, which springs up very 

 rapidly on hemlock and cedar lands, 

 will keep the ground from drying out. 

 The protection of trees of fifty years' 

 growth and under is necessan' to pre- 

 serve large areas of hardwood lands for 

 a new crop. The enactment of taxa- 

 tion laws was urged with this object in 

 view, which would make it a business 

 proposition. 



