FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 9 



It suoofests the necessitv at least of haviiiii- more complete 

 information regarding forest growth, and also the possibility 

 of needing some legislative restrictions l)efore veiy many 

 years. 



To such as feel any alarm, T wish to say that the owners of 

 pulp mills have such large amounts of mone}' invested in 

 their plants, it is a matter of great consequence to them to 

 have a permanent business, and no class of business men can 

 be more interested in having wise, rather than destructive 

 methods adopted, then these proprietors themselves. 



Spruce being our main subject of inquiry, let us review 

 the facts, which, partly as a result of earlier work, are already 

 iit hand. 



The great supply of spnice for all Eastern America, is 

 said to be found in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, AVest 

 Virginia, Eastern Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, 

 with possibly small tracts in Vermont and Pennsylvania. 



AMiat the total acreage is, the average yield per acre, or the 

 total consumption, it is impossible for the State department 

 to ascertain, yet the necessity of collecting these facts through 

 some source seems of the utmost importance, for without 

 them it will be impossible to ever make any veiy close calcu- 

 lations with reference to the prospective values of our ]Maine 

 forests, or those of any other state. 



It Avould seem as though the national department of forestry 

 could well afford to devote a part of its energies tow^ards 

 collectinir this most valuable information rather than towards 

 collecting purely scientific data. 



The distribution of spruce within our own border can best 

 be indicated by first referring to our great natural features and 

 characteristics. 



The great topographical features of this State were clearly 

 apprehended by Walter Wells and admira])ly stated in his 

 "Water Power of Maine." The w^hole territory of the State 

 he divided into two slopes, a northern and a southern. 



The division between these two slopes is not made by a 

 well defined line or water-shed, but by a great body of elevated 



