REPORT OF THE FOREST COMMISSIONER. 



Previous reports issued from this department have dealt with 



' the various phases of the forest fire question and other forestry 



problems, but in this, my fourth report as Forest Commissioner 



of the State of Maine, I have deviated somewhat from the 



strictly forestry subjects. 



Realizing that few people of the State have little idea of how 

 the lands which go to make up the great "wild land" sections 

 were acquired and disposed of, it has been my aim to make a 

 concise study of that matter, and the result occupies the major 

 part of this report. 



The facts and figures used in the following pages were pro- 

 duced after much research and work, they are from reliable 

 sources and are given to the public in the belief that it is 

 information which has long been desired. 



A resume is also given of the forest fires of 1907 and 1908, 

 two unprecedented years, the former owing to the favorable 

 conditions for the prevention of forest fires, and the latter for 

 the extremely unfavorable season, there being but three weeks 

 between June ist, and November ist when forest fires would 

 not spread. 



The tabulations and estimates are from the reports of the 

 wardens as returned to this department, and while in some cases 

 they may not be absolutely correct, I believe in the main they 

 are very reliable. 



The article on the white pine blight in Maine, prepared by 

 Prof. W. J. Morse, of the Maine Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion, should set at rest the anxiety concerning the cause of the 

 death of many of our small white pines the past two seasons. 

 He shows that it was without doubt caused by adverse weather 

 conditions of the past two winters. 



Trusting that the time and work that has been put into it will 

 be of some benefit to the people of the State, I submit the fol- 

 lowing pages : 



