11 



blow-downs, and other prevailing features which had a direct bearing 

 on the problem under investigation. 



Mr. Cary joined me again at Camp Caribou, and June 13 we pro- 

 ceeded by the old Danforth trail to the Cupsuptic River, and thence 

 to the Stonehouse on the lake near its mouth. From here we pro- 

 ceeded up the Kennebago River and devoted several days to the 

 exploration of the great spruce region at the sources of this and Dead 

 River. This also included a climb to the summit, of Boil Mountain 

 where, as from Rump Mountain, an excellent view was had of the 

 prevailing conditions as to dead and living timber over a vast extent 

 of forest. 



Between Kennebago Lake and Beaver Pond we had a good oppor- 

 tunity to study the conditions in the historic blow-downs of 1871 and 

 1883, which were followed by great invasions of spruce-destroying 

 insects. 



We returned to the Cupsuptic June 17, and next day I returned to 

 Brunswick and Portland. After making some investigations on Peak 

 Island and in the vicinity of Portland, and reporting to the Berlin 

 Mills Company some features of the results of my investigations in 

 sections of the Androscoggin region in which they were specially 

 interested, I returned home, where I arrived June 29. 



The specimens of insects and their work collected on this trip num- 

 bered something over 1,700, including 44 species from the Red Spruce, 

 six from the White, and nine from the Black. 



THE ANDROSCOGGIN REGION AND ITS SPRUCE FORESTS. 



The Androscoggin drainage north of the Rangeley Lakes and west 

 of the headwaters of the Dead River of the Kennebec, in which the 

 investigations were conducted, is one of great interest, and since the 

 varied conditions prevailing there have a direct bearing on the prob- 

 lems to be discussed further on in this report, it seems fitting and 

 proper that some space should be devoted to its discussion. In this 

 I can do no better than to quote from the writings of Mr. Cary, than 

 whom there is probably no better authority. Indeed, after having 

 gone over the territory with him I learned to have much confidence 

 in his ability as a practical expert forester and a careful and accurate 

 observer of forest conditions. 1 



* * * These townships [Grafton, Andover, North Surplus, Letters D and E, 

 and No. 6] that I have referred to form a barrier separating the upper from the 

 lower course of the Androscoggin. To the south is the lower river, flowing 

 approximately east for 50 miles, catching streams from both sides of its course. 

 To the north of that barrier lies the Rangeley Lakes system, again with its axis 

 east and west and about 30 miles in length. The lakes, therefore, situated as they 

 are close under this mountain barrier, receive only trifling tributaries from the 

 south. Their volume is chiefly maintained from the country to the north, which 



1 Paper by Mr. Austin Cary, in Third Annual Report of the Forest Commissioner 

 of Maine, pp. 127, 128, 1896. 



