BULLETIN OF THE 
Sc) USDEPARINENT OFACICULIURE & 
No. 91 
Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief. 
May 16, 1914. 
COST AND METHODS OF CLEARING LAND IN THE LAKE 
STATES. | 
By Harry Tuompson, Agriculturist, and Earu D. Srrair, Scientific Assistant 
O fice of Farm Management. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Practically the entire northeastern part of Minnesota and all of 
Michigan and Wisconsin were originally forest land. Nearly all the 
southern parts of Michigan and Wisconsin are now cleared except for 
scattering farm wood lots. At the present time large areas of 
undeveloped land are found in northeastern Minnesota and the 
northern half of Michigan and Wisconsin. In Table I the figures 
showing the area of improved and unimproved lands were taken from 
the census of 1910; the statistics regarding the area of merchantable 
timber land and of logged-off land and the land values were compiled 
from data obtained from State, county, and township officials, 
lumber companies, and other companies or individuals well informed 
on these matters. The figures obtained furnish a fairly close ap- 
proximation to the actual acreage of merchantable timber and 
logged-off land in the three States mentioned. 
A part of the logged-off land in the three States specified probably 
would give better returns if put into permanent forest, but there is 
much good agricultural land in nearly every county in which these 
investigations have been conducted which at the present time is not 
erowlng desirable timber and is an idle waste (fig. 1), giving no re- 
turns whatever. Because of the danger from fire, these waste areas 
form a menace to the communities. 
At the present rate of cutting, most of the remaining merchantable 
timber will be cut within the next 25 years. This means that in many 
counties there will be a change from lumbering to farming. 
Note.—This bulletin gives details of cost and methods of clearing land in the Lake States and is of spe- 
cialinterest to settlers in the logged-off sections of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. 
36156°—Bull. 91—14——_1 
