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THE FORESTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 501 



Beekshire county, Massachusetts. From one-third to one-half of this county is reported covered with 

 woods, largely second growth. The high ridges of the hills are still covered with forests of black spruce, their 

 slopes and intervening valleys with hard woods or hemlock, now often replaced by a growth of young white pine. 

 Cooperage stock, baskets, and wood pulp are largely manufactured. Spruce is reported to have deteriorated in 

 quality; manufacturers consider the supply of material, however, abundant for .all present local demands. 



Franklin county, Massachusetts. One-half of this county is reported covered with woods, largely 

 second-growth white pine. 



"Worcester <:ounty, Massachusetts. One-half of this county is reported covered with woods, largely 

 second growth white pine. Winchendon, the most important point in the United States for the manufacture of 

 wooden ware, small cooperage, etc., is supplied with material from the young pine forests of this and the neighboring 

 counties. Timber is reported to have deteriorated. The supply of pine is not equal to the demand, and is rapidly 

 increasing in value. 



In Barnstable county, Massachusetts, numerous experiments in forest planting have been made. In South 

 Orleans and neighboring towns fully 10,000 acres of sandy, barren soil have been successfully and profitably planted 

 with pitch pine. Similar plantations have been made upon the island of Nantucket; aud many large groves of 

 white pine planted many years ago in Bristol and Plymouth counties demonstrate the entire practicability of forest 

 culture in this whole region. 



The only important lumber manufacturing establishments found in these states are situated upon the Connecticut 

 river, in Massachusetts and Connecticut. They are entirely supplied with material from the forests of northern 

 Kew Hampshire and Vermont. Partial returns of the hoop-pole industry give a production during the census year 

 in Massachusetts of 11,507,600, valued at $95,009; in Connecticut, of 191,000, valued at $9,660. 



NEW YOEK. 



That portion of the state north of the forty-third degree of latitude, including within its limits the elevated 

 Adirondack region, was once covered with a dense forest of maple, birch, basswood, and other northern deciduous 

 trees, through which were scattered spruce and pine. The low hills bordering the Hudson and extending along 

 the southern boundary of the state west of that river were covered with the coniferous species of the Northern Pine 

 Belt. Over the remainder of the state the broad-leaved forests of the Mississippi basin spread almost uninterruptedly, 

 except where an occasional sandy plain or high elevation favored the growth of pines. The original forest still 

 covers large areas in the northern counties, and protects the hills through which the Delaware river forces its way 

 in crossing the southern part of the state. With these exceptions, however, the forests of New York are now 

 almost exclusivelj' of second growth. 



The forests of the state, especially in the north, have at different times suffered great damage from Are. During 

 the census year 149,491 acres of woodland were reported destroyed by fire, with a loss of $1,210,785. Of these 

 fires thirty-seven were set by farmers clearing land for agricultural purposes and allowing them to escape to the 

 forest, forty three were set by locomotives, and twenty-two by the carelessness of sportsmen. 



With the exception of the spruce of the Adirondack region, the forests of the state are no longer important 

 as a source of general lumber supply ; and many industries depending upon hard woods have in late years decreased 

 in importance, owing to the want of sufficient material, or have been forced to obtain their supply of timber ftom 

 the west. White oak, largely consumed by the railroads, has become scarce, and has advanced at least 50 per 

 cent, in value during the last twelve years. Elm, ash, hickory, and other woods are reported scarce in all parts of 

 the state. Partial returns of the hoop-pole industry give a production during the census year of 10,948,258, 

 valued at $155,764. 



New York is only surpassed by Vermont in the amount of maple sugar produced by its forests. During the 

 year 1879 10,693,019 pounds were manufactured in the state. 



The following extracts are taken from Mr. Pringle's report upon the forests of northern New York: 



" One who enters northeastern New York at Port Kent, aud takes stage by way of Keeseville to the Saranac 

 lakes, finds himself, as long ;i8 his route runs up the Au Sable river, which is as far as the Au Sable forks, passing 

 through a region which gives evidence of having been formerly covered with pine. The white, the red, and the 

 pitch pine are all represented here. The pitch pine is confined chiefly to the sterile sandy plains between the Au 

 Sable and the Saranac rivers. The red pine mingles with this species, and grows on the rocky hills of the region 

 and on the river cliffs, while the abundance of white pine in nearly all situations must hav^e made this quarter of 

 the state, like the region of Vermont lying opi)osite, a valuable pinery in former times. But fifty or seventy-five 

 years have passed since the pine of the Champlain valley was harvested aud shipped to England by way of the 

 Saint Lawrence. 



" In the valleys of the Au Sable and the Saranac rivers white pines spring up numerously whenever permitted 

 to do so, and I am told that farmers, realizing that much of their soil is not suitable for profitable agriculture, are 

 seriously considering whether it be not to their highest advantage to surrender much of their land to timber growing, 

 and encourage the growth of the more valuable species, such as white pine, white oak, etc. Of non-coniferous trees 



