FOREST, FISH and GAME COMMISSION. 99 



mills in each of the Forest Preserve Counties,* from which it appeared that there 

 were 90 sawmills in Ulster and Sullivan counties, of which 72 used water power and 

 18 used steam. But the water mills, which were all small affairs, were shut down 

 most of the year, and so their product attracted little attention. 



As more definite information regarding the forest products of that region 

 seemed desirable, Mr. A. B. Strough, a special agent of this Commission, was 

 instructed to make an exhaustive examination of the entire district embraced in the 

 four Catskill counties, and collect all the statistics possible relating to the industries 

 in that region which are dependent on the forest for their supply of raw material. 

 From the written statements furnished by the various mill owners I find that the 

 products of the Catskill forests for the year 1900 attain the following aggregate : 



FEET, B. M. 



Spruce, - - - - - 2,730,780 



Hemlock, - - - -- - - - -- - 18,659,026 



Pine, - - - - . 9,340,448 



Hardwood, 25,876,089 



56,606,343 



Shingles, 4,871,500 



Lath (pes.), ----------- 5,158,700 



Of the sawed hardwood, a good proportion is composed of chestnut and oak, 

 species which do not enter at all into the Adirondack product, but which are 

 abundant in the Catskills, where they are sawed largely into railroad ties. 



The chemical mills, which manufacture wood alcohol and acetate of lime, con- 

 sumed during the year 103,449 cords of 4 ft. wood, equivalent to 56,793,501 ft. 

 All kinds of hardwood or broad-leaved trees are available in this industry. 



In the manufacture of excelsior, the mills used 4,175 cords, equivalent to 

 2,292,075 ft., mostly basswood and poplar. The mills engaged in this industry 

 manufacture excelsior and nothing else. 



The furniture factories reported 1,330 cords, as used last year, equivalent to 

 730,170 ft. Most of it was hard maple used in the chair factories at Chichester and 

 Shandaken. 



The two pulpmills in the Catskill district consumed 2,503 cords, or 1,374,147 ft.. 



* At that time Delaware County had not been included in the law defining the location of the 

 Forest Preserve. 



