L02 



Third Annual Report of t 



1 1 E 



application to their forest lands as well as to their agricultural 



areas. 



The exhaustion of our forests is further shown by the fact that 

 the annual lumber cut is rapidly falling off. There are many 

 towns that once flourished but are now abandoned because the for- 

 ests have been harvested. A half century ago Albany was the 

 largest lumber market of the nation, but the area wherein that 

 great business was conducted is now chiefly covered with a growth 

 of brush. The rank of this State as a lumber producer has greatly 

 changed. In 1850 it was first, while to-day it is twenty-third in 

 the list of states. The change was gradual : 



1850. First. 



L860. Second. 



1870. Third. 



1880. Fourth. 



1890. Seventh. 



1900. Seventeenth. 



1910. Twenty-second. 



1912. Twenty-third. 



Idie accompanying table, showing comparison of forest products 

 1908—12, indicates how this reduction is still taking place: 



Comparison of Forest Product 1908-1912 



YEAR 



SpTua 

 lumber, 



ft , IV M. 



bpruce 



puln, 



ccrda 



Pine, 



ft., B. M. 



Hemlock, 

 ft., B. M. 



Total cut of 



State, 



ft.. B. M. 



190S ! 107,936,537 360,891 



1909 127,864,000 969,397 



1910 113,357,500 392,680 



1911 81,841,173 103,983 



1912 52,061,700 354,793 



113,263,132 



104,658,500 



72,753,000 



79,189,1 15 



78,271,480 



194,210,327 

 162,783,500 

 150,659,000 

 132,941,386 

 L28, 140 828 



l ,226,754,365 



1,091,164,710 



927,933,291 



972,596,685 



942,545,269 



REFORESTING 

 The reforesting work consists in the production of trees in the 

 various nurseries: reforesting land of the State in the Forest Pre- 

 serve; the selling of trees for forest planting, to private owners, 

 together with giving advice in regard to this work; and supplying 

 trees to various Stare institutions for similar purposes. 



NUKSERIES 



One new nursery was added to those operated during the pre- 

 ceding year. Some of the nurseries have heen increased in area. 



