THE ADIRONDACK BLACK SPRUCE. 81 



thus obtained must be inferior in quantity and value, like any 

 crop that is gathered before it is ripe or has attained its full 

 growth. 



It is maintained by experienced foresters, and with good rea- 

 son, that the persistent cutting of any one species, especially 

 where it is done before the trees have attained their full size, 

 tends to the deterioration and, ultimately, to the extinction of 

 such species. This ought to be evident without going into the 

 technical reasons. 



It is not intended in this report to criticise unfavorably the land 

 owners who are willing to accept pay for twelve-inch spruce. It 

 is their property, and if they prefer the cash in hand to future 

 payment they have the right to accept it without comment. In 

 fact, many who advocate other methods would probably do the 

 same if they were fortunate enough to own spruce timber lands. 

 But the owners of woodlands who are able to hold them, and who 

 may wish to manage their forest so. that it will yield the greatest 

 revenue, and are willing to waive immediate returns in favor of a 

 permanent, revenue producing investment will do well to study 

 this question carefully. 



The felling of immature spruce merely for revenue should be 

 discontinued. Mature trees, however, should be converted into 

 money. Part of this money could be set aside with advantage as 

 a fund from which to pay the expense of improvement cuttings, 

 through which the growth of desirable species would be fostered 

 and inferior ones eliminated. The work of the axeman should 

 not be limited to the mature trees which are cut for revenue, but 

 should include the removal of all diseased trees and inferior 

 species, large and small, even though such timber does not yield 

 one cent to pay for the work. Then, again, it might be necessary 

 often to allow sound, mature trees to remain, because their 

 removal might influence surrounding conditions so unfavorably 

 as to inflict a loss greater than their value. But to go further 

 into this subject would involve the recital of technical details of 

 management which are foreign to the scope of this article. 



Some mention should be made here of the natural tendency of 

 the Adirondack spruce to reproduce itself, a fortunate character- 

 istic that, under the guidance of skillful foresters, could be utilized 

 with great advantage in the work of forest improvement. But 

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