14 PREFACE. 



wood pulp companies have already commenced the work of reforesting 

 the burned or barren areas belonging to them. 



A question arises here properly, as to the particular cause or influ- 

 ence which induced this gratifying interest in forestry affairs throughout 

 the State. In reply it may be safely asserted that it is due largely 

 to the propaganda undertaken by this Commission for the purpose of 

 calling attention to the need of a better and fuller understanding of 

 forestry conditions in New York, and arousing public sentiment with a 

 view to the adoption of legislation that would ensure a better manage- 

 ment of the remaining forests in our State, both public and private. 

 In conducting this campaign of education it soon became evident that 

 nothing was so conducive to good results as the voluminous, illustrated 

 reports which were issued from time to time by the Department and 

 distributed widely among our people so far as the size of the editions 

 would permit. 



These volumes contained not only the annual official reports from 

 the heads of departments, but articles, also, on forestry and allied sub- 

 jects that were contributed by well-known experts, and which were 

 studied with a deep interest by all who were interested in this import- 

 ant factor in the political economy of our great Commonwealth. As a 

 result the State of New York occupies an advanced position to-day in 

 the progress which it has made in forestry affairs. 



These publications have required much care and labor in their 

 preparation, and have been expensive in their production. But, on the 

 other hand, they have been directly instrumental in bringing about 

 good results that far offset their cost. Owing to a pressure of work in 

 our office it became necessary to combine the three last preliminary reports 

 in this one volume in order to bring the publication up to date. 



The Commission desires to make suitable acknowledgment here of 

 the valuable articles kindly contributed to this report: that on 'Forest 

 Management," by C. A. Schenck, Ph.D., the eminent forester who is at 

 the head of the Forest Academy at Biltmore, N. C, and who has 

 charge also of the Vanderbilt Forest in the same vicinity ; the thesis 

 on ' Preservation of Timber Used in Engineering Construction," by 

 Harry V. Radford, M.S.; the paper on "Difficulties in Fish Culture," 



