FOREST, FISH AXD GAME COMMISSIONER. IO3 



is bv assuming that this 39 per cent of area includes wild or brush land 

 alreadv included in the farms. In our calculations we are unable to find 

 over 2 7 per cent, of forest and woodlands. 



In order to formulate an intelligent forest policy and conserve the 

 interests dependent on our forest resources it is highly necessary that we 

 should know, not only the extent of such resources, but how fast these 

 are being depleted. To this end we have devoted considerable time each 

 year to the compilation of statistics showing the actual amount of timber 

 that is being cut fcr lumber, wood pulp, cooperage, chemicals, furniture, 

 and maintenance of various other industries that obtain their supply of 

 raw material from our forests and woodlands. We undertook this work 

 in 1 89 1, and since then have made an annual report of the same. The 

 steady increase each year demands serious consideration, for with this 

 constantly growing demand there is a corresponding decrease in the sup- 

 ply. The annual increment of growth in the remaining trees is so small 

 in comparison with the removal of timber that it is a negligible factor in 

 the question. Furthermore, it will be many years before the reforesting 

 operations conducted by the State will assume proportions that will in 

 any great degree offset the annual loss. 



It is necessary to state here that the great increase in our forest out- 

 put, as shown in the following statistics for 1905, is due to the fact that 

 in previous years we compiled returns from the Adirondack and Catskill 

 forests only, and did not obtain the product from the small mills in other 

 parts of the State. We were unaware until recently that these outlying 

 woodlands, much of them in the farming districts, were producing lumber 

 and other wood material t3 any considerable extent. Having decided, 

 however, to make our statistics as complete as possible, and inclusive of 

 the entire State, we submit here figures showing the entire forest output 

 of New York, based on the written returns furnished from the office of each 

 mill, factory, or industry consuming logs obtained from the forests and 

 woodlands within our borders. To this end, and in order to secure accu- 

 racy, each firm or individual was cautioned in our printed instructions 

 to omit all stock obtained from Pennsylvania or Canada. 



The statistics given here are for the output of 1905. As explained 

 in our previous reports we cannot give the figures for the current year, 



