84 FOREST commissioner's report. 



well township. The second day it was Black Nubble near the 

 northwest corner of Kingfield. Locating myself in one way 

 or another, the burns could be sketched and the condition of 

 the country approximately noted. But each day when I got 

 up about so high, I found the ice. It remained as long as I 

 was in the country. 



I couldn't help thinking of Mark Twain while I was up on 

 those mountain tops. If he had been there about noon some 

 day, when the trees were dripping both ice and water, and a 

 man couldn't stir without being wet to the skin, we misrht 

 perhaps have had a striking postscript added to his descrip- 

 tion of a New Eng^land ice storm. 



This of course is but one of a thousand perfectly plain 

 demonstrations of the effect of elevation and exposure on 

 temperature. The general effects of these conditions on the 

 distribution of tree growth are no less evident and well 

 known. Many notes relating to it, rendered much more 

 worth while by aneroid observations, were taken during the 

 season's cruising. There is hardly enough of them yet to put 

 on record, and they do not strictly harmonize with the utili- 

 tarian nature of this report. 



SUMMARY ON THE KENNEBEC. 



Probably as much has now been said as can well be 

 put in narrative form. It remains next to gather statis- 

 tical information, and draw such conclusions in regard 

 to the lumber business of the Kennebec as it appears may 

 safely be drawn. After that we shall go on to other territory, 

 returning later to the discussion of some topics and sugges- 

 tions which have not yet been sufficiently followed out. 



The first thins^ that is essential is statistical knowledoe as 

 to area and condition. The total area drained by the Kenne- 

 bec river, according to Well's survey, is 5,800 square miles, 

 bearfng Of this Only about half has to be considered in con- 

 ^^■®'^' nection with spruce — its more northern and higher 



