No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 279 



Faunee demonstration farm, Sandwich, set out 500 seedlings. 

 Long Island Hospital, Boston harbor, set out 45,000 seedlings. 

 Fitchburg Water Board, "Westminster, started a forest nursery. 

 E. P. Joslin, Oxford, set out 5,000 seedlings. 

 Needham Water Board, Needham, set out 5,000 seedlings. 

 I. P. Lawrence, Ashburnham, set out 25,000 seedlings; also set out 

 15,000 in a nursery. 



State Colony for Insane, Gardner, set out 14,000 seedlings. 



Reports from some of this work seem to indicate as good 

 results as can be expected in the short time that has elapsed. 



The seedlings at Long Island are in good condition, and it 

 only remains to be seen how they will endure the coming winter. 



The stock on the farm at Sandwich is in good shape, and it 

 will be put to a rigid test this winter, having been planted as a 

 windbreak against the heavy gales so prevalent on the Cape. 



Portable Steel Shacks. 



In the reforestation work of the past few years we have had 

 difficulty in keeping the expense of planting uniform. There 

 are many conditions that are accountable for it, such as the 

 size and condition of the area, — as a larger tract can be han- 

 dled more cheaply per acre than a smaller one ; price of seed- 

 lings, etc. ; but the greatest factor to be reckoned with has been 

 the question of caring for the laborers. In some cases it was 

 necessary to transport the men night and morning to and from 

 the field, which was an extra expense. In order to overcome 

 this, the department has constructed several portable steel 

 shacks (see accompanying photograph), which are used to 

 house and board the labor on the ground. These shacks were 

 constructed in the State Forester's warehouse. The whole con- 

 struction is of galvanized-iron sheets, which are held together 

 with bolts and clasps. The only wooden parts are the door and 

 two window sashes, one on each side. Twelve men can thus be 

 accommodated. The following outline gives the size of the 

 shack, equipment for setting it up, cooking utensils and plant- 

 ing tools used in the work ; the approximate cost is also given. 



With this device the whole environment of the work is im- 

 proved, and the results, from an economic standpoint, are far 

 more satisfactory. These shacks are used only when the plant- 



