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annually a far greater number of summer visitors than the famous Adirondack 

 region. It is a favorite spot with the vast populations of New York and Brook- 

 lyn on account of its accessibility, cheap railroad fare, and desirable accommoda- 

 tions for people of moderate means. 



Si ill, aside from all such reasons, the acquisition of forest lands in the 

 Catskill Mountains is necessary for forestry purposes, and for the preservation of 

 an important watershed. ' 



FOREST FIRES. 



Under this heading the Commissioners in their report for 1891 say: 

 " Forest fires in this State during the past year have done but little damage as 

 compared with the destructive conflagrations which raged within the wooded 

 districts several years ago, prior to the organization of the present firewarden 

 system. That the succeeding reports show a greater number of fires than last 

 year, is due to the fact that extra effort has been made this season to secure 

 reports from every town in the State. A. large number of fires reported this year, 

 it will be noticed, were checked soon after they started and before any serious 

 damage was inflicted ; and the large number of such cases is encouraging evidence 

 of the value and efficiency of the organization. In gathering these reports an effort 

 was made to make the statistics on this matter perfect and complete. To this end 

 a correspondence was maintained with the 900 firewardens, including the town 

 supervisors who act as such within the towns outside the forest preserve, all of the 

 woodlands thoughout the entire State, whether private or public, being under the 

 charge of the forest commission in this respect. This correspondence was pushed 

 until every town in the State had reported, the firewardens being directed to 

 report the absence of fire as well as cases where they had occurred. It will be 

 noted with interest that the principal causes of these fires were not the ones 

 which had hitherto been claimed as such. In no case have thej' been reported 

 as originating in lumbering operations, or in the " slash " lefo by log choppers. 

 The most frequent source is found in petty farming operations, and the burning 

 of fallows ; and, next the railroads and locomotives were a prolific cause. The 

 campers and sportsmen seem to be responsible next, while the remaining instances 

 were due to various and sometimes unknown causes. 



" In cases where the fire was discovered as soon as started, and a posse of men 

 was promptly warned out, there was no difficulty in extinguishing it ; but where, 

 by reason of delay, the fire got well started, it was impossible to put it out, and 

 the efforts of the firewarden and his men were confined to checking any further 

 spread, and to watching it until the rain could accomplish the work. The 

 unfailing regularity with which the larger fires were followed by rain was a 

 noticeable and interesting fact. The system and the work done under it, is 

 however, far from perfect as yet, but each year has brought with it better 

 methods and a more effective organization. The commission feels encouraged, 

 and believes that the present system can be perfected and the laws enforced so 

 that extensive forest fires in the State of New York will be a rare occurrence. 

 " In one case a serious fire was started by an incendiary. This occurred 

 May 14th, near Indian Lake, Hamilton County, and the person started his fire in 

 the windfall of dead timber and tree tops left by the cyclone of 1888. As this 

 fire was clearly of incendiary origin, the forest commission offered a reward of 

 $300 for information which would lead to the conviction of the person or persons 

 who set fire to* this slash. The printed hand-bills containing the announcement 

 of this reward were conspicuously posted and freely distributed throughout the 



