TOP-LOPPING IN THE ADIRONDACKS 63 



servation of Canada. Similarly, T. W. Dwight, accompanied the party 

 as a representative of the Forestry Branch, Department of the Interior. 

 Acknowledgment shoidd here be made of the value in the preparation 

 of this report of the discussions with and suggestions received from 

 Messrs. Gaylord and Dwight, as also from W. C. Bagg, forester for 

 Finch, Pruyn and Company, large pulpwbod operators in the Adir- 

 ondacks. , 



The party spent the week of October 28-th in a careful examination 

 of the results of top-lopping on a number of representative tracts in 

 various sections of the Adirondacks. These will be discussed in same 

 detail later in this report. It should be understood that the lopping 

 operations carried on prior to 1909 were wholly volimtary, and were 

 carried on partly to minimize danger from fire and partly to improve 

 the looks of the forest and facilitate its use for park purposes. The 

 observations made were all in the spruce section of the Adirondack 

 region. The cutting operations of recent years have been for the most 

 part in spruce and balsam. Hardwoods have been logged only to a very 

 limited extent. The original growth of white pine in this section 

 was to a very large degree cut out many years ago, and areas where 

 young growth white pine was left from the earlier cuttings, have been 

 gone over repeatedly in later years for this valuable species. The white 

 pine region proper, on the eastern slope of the Adirondacks, was not 

 visited in connection with this investigation. It is understood, however, 

 that there is comparatively Uttle objection in that section to the opera- 

 tion of the top-lopping law, the principal objection coming, as stated, 

 from the operators in spruce and balsam. Another way of stating the 

 same point is that in general it is not the operators in saw-timber but 

 those in pulp wood from whom the objection is coming. Nor should 

 it be understood from this that all the pulp men are opposed to the law, 

 for such is not the case. 



In order to make the situation clear, the following summary of 

 objections is here given. It should be understood that this summary 

 includes the principal objections raised from aU sides, and is not neces- 

 sarily a statement of the opinion of any individual. 



Summary of Objections. — ^Fires in lopped tops bum deeper, harder 

 and faster, and are harder to fight, than fires in unlopped tops ; lopping 

 does not materially if at all increase the rate of decay of debris, and is 

 therefore ineffective as a fire preventive measiure. The conditions 

 resulting from lopping are nlore unfavourable to young growth, both 

 present and future, and to the remaining old forest than where tops are 

 not lopped ; and the beneficial results, if any, are not commensurate 

 with the cost to the operators and land owners. 



