Journal Issue:
Ames Forester: Volume 3, Issue 1
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In the extreme northeastern corner of Minnesota, a trifle over one hundred miles north of Duluth, lies the Superior National Forest, a million and a quarter acres of the "Land of the Sky-Blue Waters." The area is a northland wilderness, still unmarred by civilization's improvements.
Unlike most of the states, Iowa has a relatively small area of non-agricultural land, in fact, about ninety per cent of the State is adapted to the production of annual crops. For this reason, if for no other, state or national forests will not be of large extent. The areas which might best be used for timber production are in relatively small units and far separated, making their administration under national or state supervision more difficult than in those states where considerable areas in one locality are suitable only for tree growth.
The Minnesota National Forest presents some interesting and important problems in reproduction. The silvicultural system in practice is that of clear cutting, leaving scattering seed trees, and is prescribed by the Morris Act of 1902 and subsequent amendment of 1908. The original statute authorized the leaving of five per cent of the volume of pine on any specified area sold to a single purchaser. The trees left on the sale area are selected by the forest officer in charge. The amendment of 1908 increased, the volume left in seed trees to ten per cent. The securing of reproduction and thus a second crop of timber on the forest is extremely important for it is probable that no other area in our national forests possesses greater possibilities of large financial returns. The two important species on the forest, white and Norway pines, can be grown on nearly all of the forest and much of the land should be classed as quality 1 site. Under such conditions both white and Norway pine have large possibilities.
Arkansas- is one of the foremost states of the Union in lumber production. Until recently the material produced was largely yellow pine, principally shortleaf and loblolly. Many tracts of pine have been cut over, and several mills of considerable size have been dismantled.