30 FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 



IlIRanoe V and Hol)listown. Mountains run up the east line 

 of the towns, rising, some of them, to a height of 1,500 feet 

 above the pond and sending a couple of spurs .towards it which 

 divide the intervening territory into great basins. West of 

 the pond, a similar lay of the land is seen. On each side, 

 the hills converge at the head of the pond in very abrupt 

 slopes, while north of that, the country opens out again into 

 the tlat and comparatively smooth land of township V, reach- 

 ing through to Attean pond and the Moose river. This con- 

 formation gives to Hol)l)stown several square miles of waste 

 land for mountain top, in addition to the Avater, while fires 

 have run into the town on the southwest and north, and cut 

 out considerable areas. 



Though some of its timber was practically inaccessible, 

 most of Hobbstown, from the lay of the land, was easy to 

 lumber. The Bradstreets of Gardiner some years ago cut 

 through it, and from what was seen and heard, it was judged 

 that their cut was pretty systematic and thorough. This 

 proved to be the case at any rate in the east portion of the 

 town, about the pass from Spencer pond to the Enchanted 

 country, while travel through its northwest portion disclosed 

 a very bad condition. Two of the peaks northwest of the 

 pond were climbed for the general view, while travel was car- 

 ried across the basins to see at close ranije what the country 

 was like. The devastation seen there was remarkable. It 

 points several lessons about timberland which are only to be 

 obtained in the woods. 



Slowdown pi-on-j the first hill climbed it was plain that the 

 cutting. country was in very ragged condition. Very few 

 evergreen tops could be seen. Areas of hard wood timber 

 stood scatteringly about, but most of the near country was 

 covered with dense deciduous foliaoe which seemed to be 

 close to the ground. Striking across for the next mountain, 

 what this appearance meant was plainly seen. A large crop 

 of spruce had been taken from the land. The cut had been 

 followed by blowdown, in most i)laces very thorough, after 

 which there had come up a thick growth of young hard 



