﻿174 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  penetrates 
  and 
  the 
  wind 
  effect, 
  even 
  in 
  a 
  gale, 
  is 
  only 
  slight. 
  On 
  

   a 
  catchment 
  area 
  where 
  there 
  are 
  only 
  scattered 
  patches 
  of 
  forest, 
  

   the 
  effect 
  is 
  practically 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  on 
  a 
  deforested 
  area. 
  The 
  

   same 
  proposition 
  is 
  generally 
  true 
  on 
  a 
  catchment 
  with 
  young 
  

   trees. 
  What 
  is 
  wanted 
  for 
  the 
  maximum 
  effect 
  is 
  a 
  mature 
  ever- 
  

   green 
  forest. 
  

  

  This 
  proposition, 
  however, 
  though 
  definitely 
  stated 
  here, 
  has 
  

   been 
  nevertheless 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  considerable 
  discussion, 
  and 
  owing 
  

   to 
  its 
  complex 
  nature, 
  it 
  is 
  improbable 
  that 
  a 
  final 
  conclusion 
  

   concerning 
  it 
  will 
  very 
  soon 
  be 
  reached. 
  

  

  The 
  subject 
  of 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  forests 
  on 
  runoff 
  has 
  assumed 
  

   considerable 
  importance 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  policy 
  of 
  the 
  

   State 
  government 
  to 
  purchase 
  large 
  tracts 
  of 
  land 
  in 
  the 
  Adiron- 
  

   dack 
  and 
  Catskill 
  mountains 
  (1), 
  for 
  the 
  creation 
  of 
  extensive 
  

   State 
  parks, 
  and 
  (2), 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  conserving 
  the 
  runoff 
  of 
  

   the 
  streams 
  issuing 
  from 
  these 
  regions. 
  The 
  creating 
  of 
  State 
  

   parks 
  is 
  commendable 
  and 
  does 
  not 
  enter 
  specially 
  into 
  the 
  present 
  

   discussion, 
  but 
  whether 
  the 
  creation 
  of 
  forest 
  areas 
  in 
  the 
  Adiron- 
  

   dack 
  and 
  Catskill 
  mountains 
  will 
  materially 
  increase 
  stream 
  flow 
  

   is 
  a 
  question 
  on 
  which 
  widely 
  varying 
  views 
  have 
  been 
  expressed. 
  

   It 
  is 
  proposed, 
  therefore, 
  to 
  give 
  an 
  indication 
  of 
  the 
  probable 
  

   bearing 
  of 
  forests 
  on 
  stream 
  flow, 
  and 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  dis- 
  

   cussion 
  as 
  valuable 
  as 
  possible, 
  numerical 
  values 
  will 
  be 
  used. 
  

  

  The 
  Forest 
  preserve. 
  In 
  1893 
  the 
  Legislature 
  passed 
  an 
  act 
  

   creating 
  the 
  Forest 
  preserve 
  and 
  the 
  Adirondack 
  park. 
  The 
  For- 
  

   est 
  preserve 
  is 
  defined 
  as 
  including 
  : 
  

  

  The 
  lands 
  now 
  OAvned 
  or 
  hereafter 
  acquired 
  by 
  the 
  State 
  within 
  

   the 
  counties 
  of 
  Clinton, 
  except 
  the 
  towns 
  of 
  Altona 
  and 
  Danne- 
  

   mora, 
  Delaware, 
  Essex, 
  Franklin, 
  Fulton, 
  Hamilton, 
  Herkimer, 
  

   Lewis, 
  Oneida, 
  Saratoga, 
  St 
  Lawrence, 
  Warren, 
  Washington, 
  

   Greene, 
  Ulster, 
  and 
  Sullivan, 
  except 
  (1), 
  lands 
  within 
  the 
  limits 
  

   of 
  any 
  village 
  or 
  city; 
  and 
  (2), 
  lands, 
  not 
  wild 
  lands, 
  acquired 
  by 
  

   the 
  State 
  on 
  foreclosure 
  of 
  mortgages 
  made 
  to 
  the 
  commissioners 
  

   for 
  loaning 
  certain 
  moneys 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  usually 
  called 
  the 
  

   United 
  States 
  deposit 
  fund. 
  1 
  

  

  iChap. 
  332, 
  laws 
  of 
  1893. 
  

  

  