48 SEVENTH REPORT OF THE 



The original forest which covered all of these mountains was mostly a dense 

 growth of great hemlocks and pine, with some spruce and balsam in places, and a 

 large variety of hardwoods. The hemlock occupied the slopes with a dense growth 

 of large trees. The pine grew upon the flats and lower slopes, and occasionally 

 showed their tall heads breaking the even outline of the hardwood growth on the 

 mountain tops. A few spruce slopes were to be found, while the balsam occupied 

 mostly the higher ground. 



The conifers have been removed, with the exception of a few isolated patches. 

 The mountains, though yet beautiful, have largely lost the pleasing color and form 

 that the hardwoods gave. The light green of the hardwoods, with the darker 

 shades of pine, spruce and balsam, and the deep, dark green of the hemlock has 

 given place to the colors of the hardwoods only. 



The hills have also lost, to some extent, the health-giving qualities of the soft 

 woods, with their fragrant germ-destroying odors, the efificacy of which in curing 

 disease is universally admitted. 



The softwood groves were the habitations of the deer, the rabbit, the squir- 

 rel, the partridge and other animals where they took shelter from the blasts of 

 winter. 



The most of the hemlock was cut down for the bark alone. There are still large 

 areas covered with old rotten trees which were peeled and left in the woods. The 

 pine, the spruce and the balsam have been taken for their lumber with no care for 

 the perpetuation of these species in the mountains. Small conifers, mostly balsam, 

 are now being taken each winter in train loads from the woods to be used in 

 the cities as Christmas trees. In 1900 thirty carloads passed through Phoenicia. 

 To be sure, this would be a proper use of the young trees provided they were 

 selected with regard to the benefit of the forest. Under proper forestry manage- 

 ment thinnings are sometimes necessary. These thirmings, not only from the 

 balsam, but from the pine and spruce, would furnish many trees for such purposes. 

 Their removal as carried on at present, however, with no care for the good of 

 the forest, only continues the destruction of the softwoods. Mills for dry wood 

 pulp, excelsior mills, and mills for the manufacture of wood alcohol in addition 

 to a large number of sawmills, make a local market for literally all the trees, large 

 and small. The mills which manufacture dry pulp consume a large amount of 

 young timber, mostly small pines, poplar and basswood. 



