38 FOREST commissioner's report. 



without further explanation at present that the difference in 

 percents is largely clue to a difference in terms and their use 

 which will be exphiined later on, while in respect to abso- 

 lute amount much is due to special circumstances and to 

 locality. Later in the season when I got over into the spruce 

 lands of the Androscoggin I found out the conditions from 

 which Mr. Crawford's ideas were derived. 

 aftercur-'^ One otlicr lesson of importance remains to be 

 '^'"^" drawa. As soon as one got out of the roads in 



this country he had it very forcibly impressed on his mind 

 that not all the spruce on the ground was standing in a verti- 

 cal position. However straight one might lay his course by 

 the compass, a multitude of deviations was required to get 

 round the upturned roots, while a vastly greater number in 

 the up and down direction was required to get by the out- 

 stretched trunks. There was no doul^t but that in the seven- 

 teen years since the cut, more than half the timber left stand- 

 ino; on the ground had fallen. INIakino; up now an account 

 Avith the land we shall have to include this important item. 

 The 500 cubic feet now standing seventeen years ago probaljly 

 was not more than 350. This, however, is not the first charge 

 against the land, but enough more must be added to include 

 the timber blown down. This the growth upon the remain- 

 der is not near lar^'e enousfh to balance, so that the whole 

 account shows a loss, not merely of interest but principal. 



Account with Land During Seventeen Years Succeeding Cut. 



Cubic feet. 



Left standing at cut 850 



Blown down since 500 



Remainder 350 



Growth on it during 17 years 150 



Now standing 500 



Balance lost 350 



lanifciean Busiucss Conditions at the time when this land 



^'^^ •■' was cut perhaps did not warrant the cutting of the 



smaller timber. If so, conditions have now changed. Trees 

 down to a very small size have a market value and are gen- 



