RURAL LIFE IN LITCHFIELD COUNTY 



prises an area, some ten miles long and six miles wide, 

 that is admirably adapted for park and forest pur- 

 poses. This area includes some of the wildest swamps, 

 the most picturesque ravines and the most beautiful 

 lakes to be found in New England. 



During the period of high prices for pig iron, be- 

 tween 1870 and 1880, most of this area was "coaled 

 off,'* the wood being burned for making charcoal. Since 

 that time a good growth of timber has resulted, but sev- 

 eral large areas have been devastated by forest fires. 

 This whole area might, under proper State manage- 

 ment, be made a source of public wealth, as well as a 

 public playground. Under proper forest management, 

 with lookout posts and fire paths, it would be possible 

 to check the damage by fires and keep the forest growth 

 in steady progress. By proper thinning, many sections 

 could be made to pay the cost of the thinning by the sale 

 of wood removed, and the portions left would improve 

 rapidly under the better opportunities for sunlight and 

 soil fertility. Certain sections already thinned by the 

 owner are showing the possibility of a more rapid 

 growth, in contrast with other areas not thinned. 



This area is not only available for affording a good 

 lesson in forestry, but also for showing the possibility 

 of game and fish control under State supervision. No 

 area is better situated for breeding both fish and game 

 on a large scale, as it affords naturally wild, forest 



