80 TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



citizens throughout the State who have written to the Department asking 

 for further information as to the methods employed in our tree planting 

 and nursery work, and some of them have already undertaken work of this 

 kind. As a reply to these numerous requests for instruction I have made 

 here a more detailed report of our foresting operations, and have described 

 at some length the methods employed in our nurseries for the propagation 

 of forest tree seedlings. This report, when printed, will be mailed to persons 

 seeking information as to these matters, and will save the time hitherto 

 used in answering their letters. 



The planting of seedling trees for the purpose of reforesting waste lands 

 in the Forest Preserve was commenced by this Department in 1901, when 

 some small areas of mountain land in the Catskills were set out with white 

 and Scotch pine. Since then plantations have been made each year in the 

 Adirondacks, over 500,000 seedling trees having been planted in 1902, and 

 about 450,000 in 1904. 



These plantations were made at various places, the largest ones as 

 follows: in Franklin county, on the burned lands situated on the south side 

 of the highway running from Lake Clear Junction to West Harrietstown, 

 and beginning at a point about one mile east of the former; another, on 

 the line of the railroad from Lake Clear Junction to Saranac Lake village, 

 beginning at the three-mile post and occupying the denuded lands on either 

 side of the line for a distance of about one mile in length and a half-mile 

 in width; another, in the same county, on the highway from Paul Smith's 

 to Meacham Lake, occupying the barren plains both sides of the main road 

 north of Mountain Pond and covering the open fields along the branch roads 

 leading on the one side to Osgood River, and, on the other, to Slush Pond ; 

 and in Essex county, along both sides of the highway from Saranac village 

 to Lake Placid, at a place known as Chub Hill, about two miles beyond 

 Ray Brook; and another on the abandoned fields situated on the south 

 side of Ray Brook, opposite the new State hospital for consumptives. 



The plantation on the West Harrietstown road, made in 1902, is in a 

 very satisfactory condition. Coniferous species only were used on this 

 tract, pine, spruce and larch. The Scotch pine and white pine planted there 

 have now attained an average height of five feet, while many of them are 

 taller than an ordinary man. 



