The Adirondack Spruce. 



The forestry law of this State makes it mandatory upon the 

 Forest Commission to " Take measures for awakening an interest 

 in behalf of forestry and of imparting elementary instruction on 

 such subject, and prepare and distribute tracts and circulars of 

 information for the care of private woodlands, and for the growth 

 of new forests upon lands that have been denuded, exhausted by 

 cultivation, eroded by torrents or injured by fire, or that are 

 sandy, marshy, broken, sterile or waste and unfit for use. These 

 publications shall be furnished without cost to any citizen of the 

 State on application, and proper measures may be taken for 

 bringing them to the notice of persons who would be benefited 

 thereby." 



Tracts and circulars containing the information indicated in 

 this clause of the law are being prepared and in time will be 

 ready for distribution to those who may be interested in such 

 matters. In accordance with the general requirements of this 

 clause, an article on the Adirondack black spruce, the leading 

 merchantable species of our northern woods, has been prepared 

 by Col. W. F. Fox, Superintendent of State Forests, and is sub- 

 mitted here as an appendix to this report. One-third of the entire 

 Adirondack forest is owned or controlled by private clubs whose 

 aims and intentions are to so manage their forest property that 

 they may obtain a fixed and perpetual revenue without injury to 

 existing conditions, and at the same time improve the composition 

 and productivity of their woods. While the following article 

 does not pretend to go into the details of forest manage- 

 ment it furnishes a mass of interesting information regard- 

 ing the characteristics of the most valuable species in our 

 forest, which we trust will prove interesting, not only to those 

 connected with the management of the State forests but to all 

 owners of timber land, owners of private preserves, and lumber- 

 men in the Adirondack region. 



We have embodied this paper in our report as it will thereby 

 receive the circulation contemplated in the law referred to, this 

 department being allowed 5,000 printed copies of its report for 

 distribution throughout the State. 



