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THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



of twenty miles can be seen by the aid 

 of field glasses. The necessary telephone 

 connections have been made between the 

 lookouts and neighboring villages. This 

 system gives the right kind of protection 

 but must be greatly extended before the 

 state will be freed from forest fires. 



We are at the beginning of work which 

 promises prosperity yet can scarcely set 

 out on it for lack of the support of an 

 ardent and united public sentiment 

 throughout the state. The most impor- 

 tant step toward obtaining this was 

 taken somewhat over a year ago when 

 the New York State Forestry Associa- 

 tion was organized. This aims to co- 

 ordinate all the forestry interests of the 

 state, having on its executive committee 

 representatives from each of the other 

 organizations interested in particular 

 aspects of the forestry question. It can 

 speak of forestry authoritatively to the 

 people and can stand authoritatively on 

 forest problems between the people and 

 legislative bodies. 



Another important step in advance 

 was the creation of a state school for 

 education in forestry with Dr. Hugh P. 

 Baker, formerly of the Pennsylvania 

 State College, at its head. This is 

 known as the New York State College 

 of Forestry and is in connection with 

 Syracuse University. It is already mak- 

 ing its influence felt not only in technical 

 and practical forestry in forest camps 

 and laboratory but also in lecture and 

 exhibition work before all sorts of organi- 

 zations and on all sorts of occasions. 

 It is also taking active measures to 

 further forestry teaching in the schools, 

 hoping to reach the interest of parents 

 through the children. Thus it may be 

 that if this amalgamation of forestry 

 interests and widespread education con- 

 tinue, a very few years will see New York 

 State well started toward the great future 

 the forestry prophets predict. 



To reach this future the state will 

 extend its system of fire prevention to 

 all the forests within its boundaries. 

 Our state reserves will be increased by a 

 still greater acreage, since forestry inter- 

 ests must perforce remain in the hands of 

 the government, the length of time before 

 a crop can be financially realized on 

 and the passing instead of permanent 

 interest of the individual owner preclud- 

 ing any great amount of private forestry 

 practice — even though the crop be ex- 

 empt from taxation during the period of 

 growth. 



To reach this golden future the state's 

 holdings will be kept outside of the in- 

 fluence of politics and commercialism 

 and the management will be in accord- 

 ance with the judgment of the state's 

 trained foresters. Steady progress will 

 be made year after year in planting or 

 naturally reforesting denuded areas un- 

 til all mountain sides to timber line, all 

 hillsides, all lands in any situation in- 

 capable of producing agricultural crops 

 of good quality, will be covered with 

 deep forest. Wise systems of refores- 

 tation will give also the varieties of wood 

 best adapted for our definite industries, 

 and scientific care may possibly so in- 

 crease rapidity of growth that many 

 of our cherished kinds of wood which 

 we thought barred to us for the future 

 because of their slow growth may be 

 made to reach maturity in a fraction of 

 the time required by nature's methods 

 unaided. Conservative systems of cut- 

 ting will yield state revenues year after 

 year from marketing ripe timber, while 

 there will still remain for to-day and 

 for the future these same state forests, 

 always unimpaired in their control 

 of water supply and in their almost 

 unrivaled beauty, as recreation places 

 for those who are obliged to spend 

 the greater number of their days in 

 cities. 



