30 SEVENTH REPORT OF THE 



Forest ^arve^s and Worl^ing;^ Plans. 



Some forestry work of an expert character has also been accomplished in the 

 way of timber measurements, forest surveys, and the preparation of working plans 

 on Townships 5, 6 and 41, Hamilton County, an area embracing about 70,000 acres. 

 The cost of this work was provided for by an item in the supply bill last winter, 

 which appropriated the sum of $3,500 " for continuing the work, and for the pay- 

 ment of the expenses of experts furnished by the United States Bureau of Forestry, 

 and for estimating of standing timber and the securing of other information by 

 them regarding the land and trees within the Forest Preserve." 



Under an arrangement made with Mr. Gifford Pinchot, the forester at the head 

 of the United States Forestry Bureau at Washington, a party of experts was 

 detailed for this work, payment for their salaries and services being made by the 

 general government, while the camp and traveling expenses, together with the pay 

 of the woodsmen and camp attendants, were defrayed by the New York Commis- 

 sion out of the item in the supply bill just mentioned. The party, numbering 26 

 men in all, foresters, students and laborers, was placed under the charge of Mr. 

 Ralph S. Hosmer, forester, and Mr. Eugene S. Bruce, lumberman, both of the 

 United States Forestry Bureau. 



The work performed by this party was similar to that done on Township 40 in 

 1900. Full information as to the details of what was then accomplished will be 

 found in Bulletin No. 30, issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, a 

 copy of which can be obtained by any one by writing to the United States Forestry 

 Bureau at Washington. The bulletin containing the results of the investigation of 

 Townships 5, 6 and 41 has not been published yet, as considerable time is needed 

 for compiling and tabulating the data obtained, and making the necessary maps to 

 accompany this report. 



An idea of the actual value of the timber on some of the Adirondack tracts may 

 be gained from the fact that it can be safely asserted that the matured timber on 

 the tract formed by these four contiguous townships (including Township 40), the 

 standing spruce, 14 inches in diameter or more, can be sold for over $500,000. As 

 the 14-inch spruce does not form over eight per cent of the forest, it is evident that 

 its removal would inflict no injury to the timber, or impair the protective functions 

 of these woodlands. In fact, the State has to-day on its Adirondack Preserve 

 1,366,245,000 feet of large spruce, with a stumpage value of over $2,700,000; and, 

 whenever the law will permit, this timber can be sold for that amount and removed 

 without any injury to existing forest conditions. 



