FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. 141 



fully described in preceding reports, and is discussed later in this report. 

 But in addition to planting there are other kinds of work that will increase 

 the production of our woodlands and make a more valuable forest. In a 

 natural growth we find many kinds of forest trees growing in mixture. 

 Some of these trees are of little or doubtful value ; they are often suppress- 

 ing more useful ones and utilizing light and moisture which the more 

 valuable kind should have. In fact, they bear a close relation in our 

 forests to weeds in a corn field and they should be cut down by the axe as 

 quickly as we would cut the weeds in the farm crops. 



This work cannot be intrusted to Nature alone because she is too slow, 

 often waiting a decade before sowing seeds for a new crop. When she does 

 start a crop the trees are often so far apart that they will not make a satis- 

 factory development, and so much land is wasted. But the forester direct- 

 ing the work uses the forces of Nature in the most profitable manner to 

 secure the desired results. Such methods applied to the management of 

 the forest lands of this State will make them a profitable investment, not 

 only securing revenue, but also growing a better forest than Nature will 

 provide, and the great influence which the forests exercise on the welfare 

 of the State will be maintained for the benefit of the people. 



Reforesting Operations 



The amount of work accomplished in this line has been greater than 

 in any previous year, and was unusually successful despite the severe 

 drought which began as soon as the planting was completed. The field 

 work was done in three different places, namely: near Paul Smith's, at 

 Ray brook and at Chubb Hill. No new plantations were made, but three 

 of our former plantations were extended over larger areas. Two new 

 nurseries, one at Salamanca and another at Lake Clear were established ; 

 the Forest Experiment Station at Saranac Inn was increased from less than 

 one acre to four and one-half acres in size. The Axton and Wawbeek 

 nurseries donated to us by the Cornell University College of Forestry, have 

 been abandoned (except for seed beds in the Wawbeek nursery), as they 

 are so remote from our field work that their operation became too expensive. 



The following stock was shipped from the nurseries during the spring 

 of 1908. 



