'94 



ARBORICULTURE 



The Forest, Fish and (rame Cofnmission, State of New York, 



A Most Interesting; Rcf^ort. 



The eminently practical work which is 

 hcing accomplished hy this commission 

 is to be commended, and the attention 

 of statesmen in all parts of this nation 

 is called to the grand results which are 

 being secured through the systematic and 

 thorough efforts of New York. 



The great river systems of ' the state 

 were in danger of serious interruptions 

 in their flow from the extensive forest 

 removals, while manufacturers were 

 threatened with a famine in timber, which 

 was driving many to other localities 

 where a greater abundance of forest prod- 

 ucts could be obtained. 



The commission has taken precautions 

 to check the ravages of fire, which should 

 be studied by legislators in every state 

 and by our national Congress. 



The cut on page — shows how a fire 

 is extinguished before it has gained too 

 great headway. 



"As usual the causes of these fires were 

 various, the principal ones being in their 

 order as follows : The carelessness of 

 farmers in burning brush for agricultural 

 purposes ; sparks from railroad locomo- 

 tives ; and the cam]>, or coffee, fires left 

 by fishermen and hunters. Berry pickers, 

 tramps, picnic parties, summer boarders 

 and boys at play were each responsible 

 for one or two cases. One fire was 

 started by an insane man. and one caught 

 from a charcoal burner's pit. The re- 

 turns include, also, as in previous years, 

 a large number of reports with the state- 

 ment, 'Cause unknown.' 



'Tn the returns made by the fire war- 

 dens of the State of New York for the 

 year 1902 much of the burned territory 

 included in their reports consisted of open 

 country on which there were no trees, 

 the lanfl being covered with briar patches 

 or shrubs of small growth. There were 

 large areas, also, covered with huckle- 

 berry bushes, that were set on fire and 

 burned over by the natives to increase the 

 crop of fruit gathered annually from 

 these places. This was especially the 

 case in some of the Catskil! towns, where 

 the picking of berries on wild land fur- 

 nishes employment each season fi;)r a 



large number of people — men, women 

 and children. These areas, if not burned 

 over, would in time be covered with a 

 growth of trees that would be valuable 

 for the protective, functions exercised, 

 even if the species did not furnish mar- 

 ketable timber." 



The utter indifference of most people 

 to the results of fires and wish to shield 

 those who are grossly guilty of arson, is 

 shown in the rejxirt : 



"Last spring the chief firewarden ar- 

 rested two men in Lewis County for 

 burning brush and logs during a period 

 prohibited by law, and for allowing the 

 fire to escape to adjoining forests, where 

 it caused a serious destruction of tim- 

 ber. It was a second offense, the defend- 

 ants having been convicted of the same 

 violation of law in the previous year. 

 The case Avas tried at Lowville before a 

 justice of the peace and a jury sum- 

 moned especially for this action. The 

 evidence was more than sufficient to 

 prove the guilt of the prisoners. Reput- 

 able citizens testified that they were on 

 the ground and saw the parties heaping 

 up the brush and logs on burning piles. 

 The local firewarden swore that he re- 

 monstrated with them for starting a brush 

 fire at that time in violation of the statute, 

 and further testified that the forest fire 

 \\ hich ensued was directly traceable to the 

 burning brush heaps. But the jury ren- 

 dered a verdict of not guilty. The evi- 

 dence against the defendants, however, 

 was so ample and convincing that the 

 chief firewarden appealed the case to the 

 Supreme Court, where the action is now 

 pending. 



"The details of the work of plantig 700 

 acres with seedling trees, white pine, 

 Scotch pine, spruce, fir, larch and locust 

 are of value to the general tree planter. 



"In setting out the plants the men were 

 divided into two gangs, one of which 

 was provided with mattocks for digging 

 the holes, while the other carried pails 

 filled with the seedlings, the roots of 

 which were immersed in thick muddy 

 water. The men were formed in two 

 ])arallel lines, the mattock men in the 

 front line six feet apart, closely followed 



