55 EIGHTH REPORT OF THE 



Although the law of 1837 confines these loans to improved property, many of 

 the farms thus mortgaged included considerable wild land, wood lots and areas of 

 forest, the cleared ground on which the buildings stand forming in some instances 

 only a small portion of the acreage. In some cases the farms have been abandoned, 

 and the parts that were cleared have become overgrown with small trees or bushes. 



For instance, take Lot 375, Township 11, Old Military Tract, in the town of 

 St. Armand, Essex County. This lot contains 160 acres. About thirty-five acres 

 were cleared at one time and a house built, but the farm was abandoned and the 

 clearing has grown up largely to brush and scrubby trees. The rest of the tract 

 is covered with a hardwood forest, the Spruce and other softwoods having been 

 cut out by lumbermen several years ago. Only a few acres were cultivated by 

 the last occupant, who also cut some wild hay on this lot. The State acquired 

 title to this land in 1893 through foreclosure of a mortgage, and has paid taxes 

 on it since that time. It is assessed to the State oh the tax-roll of St. Armand 

 for this year; is borne on the Comptroller's books as part of the Forest Preserve; 

 is on the published land-list of the Forest Commission, and is colored red on the 

 Adirondack map to indicate the ownership. And yet the loan commissioners of 

 Essex County leased this lot on January 14, 1892, to one Joseph Fortain for five 

 years, at an annual rental of twenty-five dollars. 



The law defining the Forest Preserve provides that it "shall include the lands 

 owned or hereafter acquired by the State" in sixteen specified counties, with 

 certain exceptions, among which are: "Lands not wild lands acquired by the 

 State on foreclosure of mortgages made to loan commissioners." This would 

 indicate that the forest areas and "wild lands" thus acquired belong to the 

 Preserve ; otherwise the exception is meaningless and unnecessary. Still, where 

 one of these lots is part clearing and part forest, it is difficult to determine its 

 status at present and whether it is within the jurisdiction of your Commission. 



To avoid conflict with any loan commissioners as to the management of such 

 properties I would respectfully suggest that a survey be made of each, and that 

 a map of the same be filed with the Comptroller, showing just how much is wild 

 or forest land ; that the portion so described be set off in each case and added 

 permanently to the Preserve, and that the legislation necessary to effect such an 

 arrangement be obtained. If this is deemed unadvisable or impracticable, it would 

 be well to amend the clause containing the exception quoted so as to leave all 

 these lands in the care and custody of the loan commissioners. 



It may be well to add here that the peculiar class of lands discussed in the 

 preceding paragraphs should not be confounded with the bonded lands on our 

 land-list, title to the latter having been acquired from a different source. 



