FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. 299 



fessional foresters. The observations thus proposed belong to a class intimately 

 connected with forestry work, and would furnish certain scientific data absolutely 

 necessary to a correct understanding of the subject and proper forest management. 

 The question as to the influence of forests on rainfall, their connection with moisture 

 and other atmospheric conditions, and their influence on climate, will all be bettei 

 understood and can be better acted upon when this knowledge is obtained — informa- 

 tion which can only be secured through the establishment of stations at proper points 

 for making the scientific and meteorological observations necessary to a long and 

 accurate record of the facts. 



In order to carry out the proposed plan for reforesting our denuded lands, and 

 the establishment of stations for observing temperature and rainfall, no legislation is 

 necessary, as such work would come properly within the scope and province of this 

 Department. Some special appropriation, however, might be needed for the inaugu- 

 ration and maintenance of such work ; but the amount need not be large, as the 

 work for several years would be experimental in character, and limited, on the start, 

 to comparatively small areas. Sooner or later this work must be done. There is no 

 better time for its commencement than now. 



Under our present law the territory constituting the Adirondack Park is 

 defined by naming the various towns within which it is located, the outside 

 boundaries of these towns thereby forming the boundary of the park. But many 

 of- these towns are not all under forest cover, and contain large areas of farming 

 land. It is highly desirable that the boundary of the Adirondack Park should con- 

 form, as nearly as practicable, to the outer line of the forest. As now defined by 

 law, the park contains over 400,000 acres of open farm land under cultivation. This 

 is an absurdity which should be remedied by proper legislation at the first opportunity. 

 The "blue line" on the Adirondack map published by this Department is not the 

 boundary of the Adirondack Park as many suppose, but represents merely a proposed 

 line. The Forest Preserve Board in all its purchases has been governed by this pro- 

 posed line, and no land has been bought outside of it. As the blue line referred to 

 lies entirely within the park as defined by law, no exception could be taken to the 

 policy of the Forest Preserve Board in this respect; especially as nearly all the land 

 outside the blue line is composed of cultivated farms which could not be purchased 

 under the terms of the act appropriating money for the purchase of forest land. In 

 case any bill is presented to the Legislature for the purpose of adjusting the park line 

 to the boundaries of the Adirondack forest, it is hoped that the measure will receive ' 

 favorable consideration. No preliminary survey or expense is necessary in establishing 

 this boundary, as it can be made to follow the well-known and plainly marked lines 

 that define the limits of the various tracts and townships — lines which are near enough 

 to the edge of the forest to subserve this arrangement. 



