6 
FORESTS OF WISCONSIN. 
In this drainage the several rivers share as follows: 
Per cent. 
Chippewa river (with Red Cedar at 6.2%) . 28.4 
Wisconsin river . 21.0 
St. Croix river . 13.7 
Wolf river . 7.4 
Black river . 6.8 
Menominee river (Wisconsin side). 5.7 
Oconto river . 3.4 
Peshtigo river . 3.2 
Small rivers to Lake Superior. 9.3 
Small rivers direct to Green Bay. 0.9 
Besides furnishing ample drainage, the basins of the Chip¬ 
pewa, Wisconsin, St. Croix, and Black rivers, which drain 70 
per cent, of the entire area, are covered with the most perfect 
network imaginable of small streams especially suited for pur¬ 
poses of driving timber. The rivers emptying into Green Bay 
also “drive” quite well, but have required more improvements, 
while those running into Lake Superior are in great part unfit 
for driving. 
Ownership .—Of the 18.5 million acres of land contained in 
this north half of Wisconsin a little less than 7 per cent, is im¬ 
proved; 24 per cent, is held by actual settlers, the greater part 
of which falls to the counties along the southern and south¬ 
western edge of this district; the United States hold about 5 
per cent. (2 per cent, being Indian Reservations), the State 
holds less than 2 per cent., the railways little over 5 per cent., 
the counties about 1.5 per cent, in tax deeds, and about five 
times this amount conditionally on tax certificates. Of the 63 
per cent, owned by private non-residents, fully 80 per cent, is 
held by lumbermen. This amounts to 50 per cent, of the total 
area under consideration or 25 per cent, of the land of the en¬ 
tire State. 
