304 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



This .shows you that, with a great necessary change in 

 grades and character over the reservoir tract and far bevond 

 in the 118.23 square miles of water-shed, a large amount of 

 deforesting, reforesting and road building will be eventually 

 completed. So you readily imagine that great problems on 

 these several lines that are laid down by law as a care of 

 your committee have been exemplified under the direction 

 of the Metropolitan Water Board, with the best advice that 

 they have been able to receive, and to the State's great good 

 for all time. It will form a State park under their care, 

 — first, for preserving the purity of that water supply, and 

 second, as a delight to many people. For reforesting, 

 nurseries of young trees are being fostered, and mother 

 earth has been improved, when necessary and practicable, 

 to encourage the young growth to become future forests of 

 most useful form and character, which shall hold the earth 

 in place and improve the general usefulness of the water- 

 shed. The proper care of the older trees of natural growth 

 becomes also a charge. 



There appears to have been a comparatively small amount 

 of damage by fire to woodlands during the past year, chiefly 

 on account of the well-distributed rains during the time 

 when dryness of underbrush and soil makes such injury 

 possible. In forestry work the greatest discouragement and 

 injury come from fires ; and we should advise as great a 

 division as possible of woodlands into separate tracts, by 

 cart paths and roads and highways, in order to bring the 

 possibility of preventing and ease of fighting such fires to 

 the maximum. 



Respectfully submitted, 



FRANCIS H. APPLETON, 



Chairman. 



