Conservation Commission. 93 



the coming spring and will cover ten or twelve acres. This is, 

 we believe, the first attempt to employ convict labor for this pur- 

 pose, and we hope that we will be able to make the anticipated 

 saving in cost of production. There are a large number of men 

 confined at this place, and it is desirable from the State's stand- 

 point to keep them employed. Inasmuch as there are no nurseries 

 growing these trees in quantity in this State, there is no inter- 

 ference with established industries. 



A nursery of five and one-quarter acres was established during 

 the fall, two miles east of Lake Clear Junction. The land has 

 been leased for a period of Hyq years. It is located near our 

 nurseries at Saranac Inn and is in the heart of a large area of 

 State land which must be planted. The soil is suitable and the 

 nursery is conveniently located. 



The two nurseries at Saranac will be placed under cover crops 

 the next one or two years in order to increase the soil fertility. 

 It has been demonstrated that it is necessary to operate our 

 nurseries on a rotation system. Nearly all of the trees were 

 moved from the large transplant nursery at Lake Clear Junction. 

 This land was under a lease which expired last spring, therefore 

 it was thought advisable to change the location and establish a 

 new nursery on better soil. 



The seed bed nursery near Lake Clear Junction and the Sala- 

 manca nursery have been operated as heretofore, and the Saratoga 

 nursery was increased in size. 



The seven State nurseries now comprise about forty-nine acres 

 of land and contain approximately nineteen million trees of 

 various ages. 



A small experimental transplant nursery was made last year in 

 the vicinity of Mountain Pond. There is at this place an extended 

 plantation, and it was hoped that the watchman at this plantation 

 could care for a quantity of transplants. Seventy-five thousand 

 seedlings were set out in transplant rows in order to determine 

 the feasibility of the work, thus enabling us not only to utilize 

 to the fullest extent the services of the watchman, but reduce the 

 cost of transportation from the nursery to the plantation. If sat- 

 isfactory soil and other conditions are obtainable, this would 

 doubtless prove to be an advantageous plan. 



