3io 



RECREATION. 



that there will be an annual new growth 

 of these forests without changing the for- 

 ested condition of the areas reserved. 



NEW HAMPSHIRE FORESTS. 



Heirs of the late Austin Corbin, of New 

 York, have decided to practice forestry on 

 the Blue Mountain Forest Park, near New- 

 port, in Sullivan county, New Hampshire. 

 The Blue Mountain Forest Park is one of 

 the noted game preserves of the country. It 

 contains 25,000 acres, and is stocked with 

 a variety of wild animals, containing what 

 is said to be the largest herd of pure bred 

 buffaloes in this country, 128 head. Besides 

 buffalo, the park contains wild boars from 

 Germany, elk, moose and deer of several 

 kinds. The owners of the park wish it to 

 be maintained first of all as a game pre- 

 serve ; but they are also anxious that the 

 timber be put in the best condition possible, 

 and for that reason have decided to manage 

 it according to principles of forestry. The 

 park was established 12 years ago by the 

 late Austin Corbin, who fenced it and 

 stocked it with game. The long ridge of 

 Croydon mountain runs through the tract, 

 and on this ridge grows a forest composed 

 of spruce and hardwoods. The spruce is 

 now being lumbered under forest manage- 

 ment. Old pastures in the tract, which are 

 growing up to spruce, will be studied by 

 Mr. Akerman and his party in order to de- 

 vise ways of hastening the reproduction. 



Another piece of forestry work in New 

 Hampshire which will be undertaken by 

 the Bureau of Forestry this summer is a 

 working plan for the management of 3,000 

 acres of cut-over land on the Southwest 

 slope of Mt. Moosilauke, in Grafton coun- 

 ty, owned by the Pike Manufacturing Com- 

 pany. The favorable market conditions 

 there offer an opportunity to show what 

 forestry can accomplish on land from which 

 the large spruce and other softwoods have 

 been removed. — Exchange. 



THE HISTORY OF MAPLE. 



No other wood which has grown into general 

 consumption in this country has had such a re- 

 markable history as hard maple. From time im- 

 memorial maple, intermingled with hickory and 

 beech, was regarded as firewood. It was the 

 back log of our forefathers. 



Only 15 years or so ago it was discovered 

 that maple was a timber of quality; that notably 

 in its green state it had wonderful breaking 

 strength, and that, when seasoned, in its resistance 

 to wear and abrasions it was not excelled by any 

 wood in this country that grew in quantities. A 

 fair proportion of the growth is figured in the 

 form of birdseye or burl, and this fancy product 

 of the forest was speedily depredated and placed 

 in use in the production of furniture, car finish 

 and interior house work. Then the agricultural 

 implement people, builders of mowers, reapers, 

 threshing machines, and wagon makers, took up 

 the wood and made use of it extensively. 



Only about 12 years ago hard maple entered as 



a ngtabk factor in the flooring trade. ' For sev- 



eral years thereafter it was not counted a suc- 

 cess for this purpose, inasmuch as its difficult 

 milling qualities and the inefficient machinery 

 then made for its transformation into accurately 

 manufactured flooring left the quality of the 

 product far from desirable. Leading machinery 

 makers of the country became interested in the 

 possibilities of building a machine that could 

 handle the wood and there were produced 4 side 

 flooring machines of more than double the weight 

 and strength formerly employed, with the result 

 that soon high class machine work was accom- 

 plished. 



The public, notably in the metropolitan districts, 

 has taken kindly to maple as a flooring material 

 and the sale of the flooring has increased steadily 

 from year to year, until the present year's output 

 will approximate 250,000,000 feet. Nearly all this 

 product is used in high class building, warehouses, 

 factories, public buildings and fine residences. — 

 American Lumberman. 



STATE STUDY OF FORESTS. 



California is arranging for a thorough and 

 comprehensive study of its forests to be 

 prosecuted in connection with the Bureau 

 of Forestry. The State has appropriated 

 $15,000 for the work, which is to be carried 

 on in connection with forestry officials, with 

 the understanding that the Forestry Bureau 

 is to bear half the expense. The object 

 of the appropriation is a thorough exami- 

 nation of the timber resources of the State 

 and the establishment of reserves. The 

 work will occupy several years and involve 

 the expenditure of large sums of money. 

 National and State reserves will be estab- 

 lished and the work will be comprehensive 

 and thorough and should do much toward 

 providing for future lumber needs of the 



country. 



FORESTRY SCHOOLS. 



The collapse of the New York State 

 school 'of forestry has by no means re- 

 duced the number of forestry schools, for 

 several new ones have sprung into exist- 

 ence. Harvard University has organized a 

 4 years' course in forestry leading to the 

 degree B. S. The University of Maine, at 

 Orono, has instituted a chair of forestry 

 and the University of Michigan has in- 

 creased its teaching force, now having 2 

 professors. Our neighbor, Canada, also is 

 beginning to move. After a fruitless wran- 

 gle between Toronto University and Queens 

 University, in Kingston, Ontario, for gov- 

 ernment aid toward establishing a forestry 

 school, the latter institution has decided to 

 start one on its own account. 



What do you write with when you are 

 in camp? Anything so good as a Laughlin 

 fountain pen? There is nothing better for 

 the purpose. It is always ready when you 

 wish to make a note or to write your 

 friends what a good time you are having. 

 Before you go into camp this fall send me 

 2 yearly subscriptions to Recreation and I 



will send you a Laughlin. fountain pen as 



premium. 



