POSITION OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. 13 
of management which can be adopted by landowners at once, and 
which are capable of development as the conditions of the market allow. 
In other words, what is needed is an American system of forestry. It 
has been named an American system, because it must be adapted to 
American conditions, and in many cases it will differ radically from 
any practiced in Europe. Rules which are considered axiomatic abroad 
must often be set aside, and frequently results which could be obtained 
by the expenditure of a small amount of money must be sacrificed 
because the owner of the forest can not afford to make the investment. 
A sustained yield, an allotment of the forest into divisions, a permanent 
road system, the accessibility of all parts of the forest at one time, fire 
lines, improvement cuttings, and the like, which are usually considered 
a necessary part of forest management, each must, in many instances, 
be given up as impracticable for the present. 
PRACTICAL FORESTRY IN THE ADIRONDACKS. 
Just what can be accomplished in the way of forest management 
depends primarily on the ownership of the land. In the Adirondacks 
the land is owned by the State of New York, lumber companies, private 
individuals, and clubs. The position of the various classes of forest 
owners in regard to practical forestry is considered in the pages fol- 
lowing, with special reference to the two tracts which form the subject 
of this report. Lee: 
POSITION OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK REGARDING THE PRAC- 
TICE OF FORESTRY. 
The chief purpose of the State of New York in maintaining large 
preserves is to protect the important watersheds and to provide a future 
supply of timber. The revenue which could be derived from the sale 
of lumber is a secondary consideration. The State can go further than 
the private individual in the direction of systematic forestry, for it can — 
afford to make investments with the expectation of but small profits, 
or it can wait many years before realizing anything at all. Moreover, 
it may be satisfied with indirect returns in the general benefit to the 
community. The New York State holdings in the Adironaacks now 
exceed 1,100,000 acres, and are being increased as fast as appropria- 
tions can be obtained for the purpose. At present the constitution of 
New York prohibits the cutting of timber on State land, so that its 
management consists only in protecting the forest from fire and theft. 
But undoubtedly the constitution will in time be changed so as to per- 
mit conservative lumbering on the State preserve. Were this possible, 
the system of management which would be practical at the present 
time would necessarily be very simple, and would not differ to any 
ereat degree from that which can now be used by lumbermen and 
other private owners. The general plan for cutting Spruce should be 
the same as that presented in the working plan given in this report, 
