FOREST, FISH: AND GAME COMMISSION. 23 



State Forests designated Township 40, Hamilton county (Raquette Lake), as a 

 desirable location for inaugurating a forest survey and securing the information as 

 to timber measurements and other details necessary for a complete working plan. 

 This tract has not been lumbered, and is covered with a " virgin forest," as it is 

 called.- Moreover, it adjoins three other townships of the Preserve — 5, 6 and 41 — 

 which are also covered with a primeval forest in which no cutting has been done, 

 except a small area in the south-east quarter of township 6. As the Totten and 

 Crossfield townships contain about 25,000 acres each — land and water — the four 

 just mentioned offer an unbroken forest of 100,000 acres for the examination and 

 report of the foresters. 



After a conference Avith Mr. Gifford Pinchot, chief of the Forestry Division at 

 Washington, the various arrangements were completed, Mr. Ralph S. Hosmer, Field 

 Assistant, and Mr. Eugene S. Bruce, Lumberman, being detailed to take charge of 

 the work. They selected a camp site on the shore of North Bay, Raquette Lake, 

 where they pitched their tents, and provided accommodations for their party, four- 

 teen in number, including the cook, camp attendant, and axeman. Three foresters, 

 who are in the employ of your Commission, were also ordered to report to them and 

 assist in the work. One of these State foresters, Mr. H. S. Meekham, an Adiron- 

 dack surveyor of many years' experience, was assigned to the important work of 

 making the necessary field surveys and topographical map ; the others, Mr. Ralph C. 

 Bryant — a graduate of the New York State College of Forestry — and Mr. Grant 

 B. Bruce, assisted in the work of taking tree measurements. 



Through the courtesy of Hon. Edward A. Bond, State Engineer and Surveyor, I 

 obtained from his Department the loan of a large amount of camp equipment, 

 including eight tents, sheet-iron stoves, surveying and draughting instruments, and 

 various necessary articles. Had it not been for his kindly assistance it would have 

 been difficult to keep the expense of this forestry camp within ^he limit of the 

 appropriation. In addition to the articles thus loaned I purchased for the use of the 

 party two ''guide" boats. United States flag, a planimeter, mapping and draughting 

 material, blankets, cooking utensils, etc. 



The field-work having been completed, the party broke camp in the latter part of 

 October. I then made an arrangement with Mr. Andrew Sims, who lives at Raquette 

 Lake, to store the entire outfit in the second story of his boat-house, and the prop- 

 erty is there now in his care, including the boats, tents, stoves, tools, tableware, 

 cooking utensils, etc. 



From what I observed during my visits to the camp, and from a careful examina- 

 tion of the maps in course of preparation-, also the sheets showing the timber meas- 



