INTKODTJCTORT BEMAEKS, 11 



ties embracing the Adirondack and Catskill mountains 

 can be sold or leased ; but every piece of land situated 

 in those counties which may in the future be acquired 

 by the State, shall be added to the State lands and for- 

 ever kept as a forest preserve. 



From the first annual report of the State Forest Com- 

 mission, published at Albany in 1886, it appears that the 

 gentlemen forming that Commission had at that time a 

 correct view in regard to the extent of their duties, for 

 on page 13 they declare that they not only must protect 

 the preserve against ravages by the elements (fire), and 

 against the army of thieves and trespassers who are 

 plundering the State forests, but that there should be 

 devised a system "which would, in time, make these 

 forests not only self-sustaining as to cost of management, 

 hut, in addition, a source of wealth and revenue to the 

 commonwealth." 



With these words the Commissioners expressed an idea 

 the proper consideration of which would ensure the 

 introduction of systematic forest culture. For it was 

 not so much the decreasing area of woods, nor the in- 

 creasing demand for forest products, which led in the 

 European territories to the introduction of the present 

 so highly esteemed forest culture ; it was the necessity of 

 deriving the highest possible permanent revenue from 

 the forests. And this dire necessity performed what for 

 want of means and knowledge could not be done in 

 former times. But as soon as the owners of lai-ge forests, 

 especially the corporations, possessors of entailments, 

 and governments in Europe, were forced to look upon 

 the forests as a perpetual source of revenue, there were 

 found the means and the knowledge of scientific or 

 systematic management of forests. 



In order to avoid any misconception in regard to the 

 words " scientific forestry," it may here be observed that 



