eee er reer - i ot eee ee 
. ) . 
SETTLEMENT AND COLONIZATION IN GREAT LAKES STATES 57 
wood stumps a chance to decay. But there is no use in having pas- 
ture for more cows than winter feed can be provided for. Grass 
and clover develop rapidly on most of this land after the brush is 
removed and the sunlight reaches the soil, whereas most brush pas- 
ture is of little value. 
On many of the plats there are patches which are easier to brush 
and clear than the rest. The colonization companies all agreed that 
the settler should attack these first no matter where they are located. 
TABLE 24.—Development policies of 15 companies. Acres cleared or brushed, 
according te years since settlement 
First year Second year Third year Index all years 
Holst Marsh lw h Marsh M 
Mars | Mars Mars . Marsh 
Cleared|Brushed cleared Cleared Brushed joared Cleared) Brushed cleared Cleared|Brushed nifaraal 
| eee e 1.39 96 | 14.90 1.78 GF5sH) “SOSH Sere, eS ea 78.9 29.1 |1, 265.6 
= 2a Sa Date | ee Pee 7. 82 Di VEC A ala ee al 99. 7 |1, 762. 7 
108 tay 68 2. 03 1. 20 2208 4. 20 CY pet CO ca apie Sel PA TS sr elo 64.8 104. 2 115.9 
REED FE eae ete Hee Mp be ae ed tee Fal ice Fy rol hs Some Pees he] ee 2 Ae ER 112. 2 148.5} 213.4 
Mio Pb 41 7.89 4. 50 3. 53 0 1.55 3. 68 0 69. 4 ih Sy 0 
Wik J: 4.80 OO alle GOE asap eee le Bere aoe eae ee eee ee 191.6} 210.4 ACY 
Mikki Sey 3.06) | Cy eal Cae ae” a Ora sala. nae mr O} 1027} 660) 9 = 0 
EXO set 1.60 7.43 1. 88 212 3. 38 85 159s) 3157 96 70. 6 112. 6 174.7 
oar 5 we 2.78 GENOA 02 BES Cll LR 5 ails eee ae og Ee ee Se ae ee et Sad ee Gt 98.3 54.2 
DG Laas is 8. 06 (1) 3] | Zee a Reais BR | aa aes Sad Sol SE LP er 70. 9 129. 5 57.6 
DG 4 ieee 2.13 10. 53 Pod Cy Seat cape Bical ek sl RS Rte Al hace el pep hee |e) Ape 98. 2 167. 0 133. 1 
XLEE 5. 64 2. 36 1.18 3. 78 2. 52 26 4.81 44 41 176. 6 55. 9 TZ 
2.4 3 A bay ¢ 4. 54 1.16 78 3. 06 86 . 86 5. 82 25 69.8 92.7 147.2 
a 27 OS GET 1.95 Os ees See ose PEPE! 3. 00 1.39 0; 110.1 65. 2 0 
The clearing record of a project depends more upon the’ kind of 
clearing available than upon anything else (Table 24). Some proj- 
ects (I and II, for example) had a considerable acreage of good 
marshland relatively easy to clear. Where the land has been burned 
recently, the record especially for the first few years will be very good, 
for there are sure to be patches that require very little work. Set- 
tlers always clear more land the first season than subsequently, 
partly because they are able to work at home and partly because they 
select the easiest land to clear. 
Most. of the lumber companies had cut off everything worth log- 
ging before selling the land, or had reserved what timber was left for 
a year or two. Some of them, however, had made a practice of leav- 
ing enough scattering timber to supply the settler with lumber for 
his buildings. The intensive colonization companies in some cases 
had even removed all the small timber suitable for ties and pulp 
wood. This provided winter work for settlers, and yielded a consid- 
erable net income at times when the market was good. The settlers, 
however, do not always take kindly to having the land stripped in 
advance. 
EXTENSION PROGRAM 
Most of the settlers surveyed would profit greatly from the right 
kind of guidance in developing their projects and in choosing and 
caring for their crops and livestock. Relatively few had the kind of 
experience needed to make them good farmers at once in the cut-over 
region. Many had no farm experience, or had it too long ago to be 
of much help. Many had experience only in Europe. Few knew 
