88 TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



its energy in adding to its diameter. In Europe the foresters plant at inter- 

 vals of four feet, and as a result a plantation of spruce or fir, twelve to 

 fifteen years old, shows a thicket with interlocking tops that cut off the 

 light from the lower branches. 



In our own work we expect that after fifteen years or so thinnings 

 will be made from time to time, and that the revenue from this source will 

 reduce in some extent the first cost of a plantation. 



One object in making regular intervals is to have the largest number 

 of trees per acre at a given cost. Irregularity or carelessness in spacing 

 would defeat this object. It has been pointed out in some text books that 

 where trees are set out at the same intervals as the space between the 

 rows — each at the corner of a square area — -the}' would not be equi-distant 

 in a diagonal direction, and would not have the same space in which to 

 grow. For this reason triangular instead of square areas are advocated 

 by some foresters, and in our plantation near Paul Smith's one field was 

 laid out that way 



Nurseries 



The forest department of the Commission maintains at present four 

 nurseries for the propagation of forest tree seedlings for use in reforesting 

 the waste lands belonging to the State. Each nursery has an enclosed area 

 of two acres. Two of them are situated near Saranac Inn railroad station ; 

 one at Wawbeek, on Upper Saranac lake; and one at Axton, all in Franklin 

 county. 



With the exception of a nursery in the Catskills which was operated 

 by the Commission for temporary purposes and then discontinued, the 

 first one permanently established by this Department is located at Saranac 

 Inn railroad station. The work in this one has been attended with highly 

 satisfactory results, and its present condition is all that any forester could 

 desire. During the past season the beds and paths presented a neat, orderly 

 appearance, without a weed in sight, the seed beds show a maximum den- 

 sity of growth, and the transplant beds are filled throughout their entire 

 extent with healthy, thrifty stock of good height. 



This nursery has a complete system of water pipes and hydrants for 

 sprinkling the plants in times of drought, the supply coming from a large 



