46 ANNUAL REPORT OF 



some distances into the woods, igniting and burning small tracts 

 unconnected with the main burn. We can only guess at the 

 origin of these fires, and it will be by constant vigilance on the part 

 of a good ranger service that they will be prevented in the future. 

 The State Forest Reserves will become in time favorite outing 

 resorts, and among the visitors will be some less careful than 

 others, so that a campaign of education as to the dangers of fire 

 and the importance of extinguishing the spark before it becomes 

 a flame cannot be waged too strongly nor commenced too early. 

 The original survey stakes placed by the United States sur- 

 veyors have been burned out in a great many cases, so that it 

 was frequently difficult to find corners. Where sufficient evidence 

 of the original location of a stake was found we put in a new one 

 and piled stones about it, and we piled stones about a great many 

 of the old stakes to preserve the corner. It will be necessary 

 to resurvey some of the lines and to put in permanent monu- 

 ments at all corners these monuments should be of stone or 

 metal so as not to be destroyed by fires. 



MANAGEMENT OF BURNTSIDE FOREST. 



With the foregoing facts before us I may offer a few sug- 

 gestions for the management of these lands. I would recommend 

 that the pine lands be fully stocked with white and red pine 

 seedlings with a view to a final crop in not less than 100 or 120 

 years. The margins of swamps, lakes and streams should be 

 stocked with arborvitae, tamarack and spruce. The number of 

 pine trees per acre should be not less than 500, and in the more 

 open country it would be well to put them in as close as 6 feet 

 apart. The expense of planting may run from $6.00 to $10.00 

 per acre there has been no planting done in that part of the state 

 so that I am unable to say definitely what the expense may be. 



For intermediate crops a mixed stand of spruce, birch, maple, 

 tamarack, jack pine, and aspen should be maintained as a nurse 

 crop while the young pines are growing, and as an undergrowth 

 to crowd them properly as they grow older. The jack pine and 

 aspen should be gradually replaced with spruce and valuable 

 hardwoods. The present stand of mature timber should be 

 retained until assured that the ground below has been reseeded, 

 or removed only to make room for replanting. 



