FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 3 1 



Forest Nurseries. 



If the Commission is to continue its work of reforesting the denuded lands of 

 the State Preserve, there will be some difficulty in obtaining a sufficient quantity 

 of seedlings for the annual plantings. It is doubtful whether the desired species 

 can be procured in sufficient quantities. Assuming that the plants are obtainable, 

 the current rates quoted in the price lists of the nurserymen indicate that the 

 expense would make reforesting operations too costly or unprofitable. This 

 difficulty may be successfully obviated by establishing State nurseries in which 

 our foresters can propagate seedlings to furnish annually the necessary supply. 

 Availing itself of its ownership of the land and the expert services of its 

 foresters the Commission can provide a stock of seedlings at a comparatively 

 small expense. 



To this end a nursery has been established in the Catskills, at a location in 

 Ulster County about one mile south of Brown's Station, on the Ulster and 

 Delaware Railroad. After a careful examination of various pieces of land suitable 

 for nursery purposes in that vicinity a selection was made of about four acres 

 situated on the farm of Egbert Dederick, located as just described. The ground 

 was prepared early last spring — ploughed, harrowed, picked free of stone — and 

 laid out into beds four feet by twenty, which were planted with the seeds of 

 White Pine, Scotch Pine, Norway Spruce and European Larch. Some planting 

 was also done in rows, in which were used the seeds of Chestnut, Black Walnut, 

 Red Oak, Pin Oak and Basswood. The soil is a clayey loam, somewhat gravelly. 

 The land slopes to the northwest, and is partially protected from unfavorable 

 winds by a belt of woods close by. A northwestern exposure may seem, at first 

 thought, to be an unfavorable condition, but it has this advantage- — -that the 

 plants will not thaw out too quickly after a late frost in the spring. 



As most of the reforesting operations conducted by the Commission will be 

 carried on in the Adirondack Preserve, a site for another and larger nursery was 

 selected in Franklin County, at Saranac Inn Station. Here there is an open field 

 of about seven acres, immediately adjoining the State Hatchery at that place, 

 and sheltered on all sides by a standing forest. The soil is a sandy loam, which, 

 under proper treatment, is best adapted to the growth of the coniferous species 

 to be propagated there. 



This nursery will have a capacity of 1,000,000 seedlings and transplants, and 

 in time will furnish the entire stock necessary for the reforesting work of the 

 Commission in the Adirondacks. Its close proximity to the railroad station will 

 save considerable expense in the transportation of seedlings, while the employees 



