PRACTICAL FORESTRY IN THE ADIRONDACKS. 
INTRODUCTION. 
It has long been apparent that the methods of forestry will not find 
general acceptance among owners of woodland until it has been shown 
by actual trial that they are practicable and profitable. In order to 
provide a series of examples of forest management in different sectious 
of the United States, the Department of Agriculture offered in Circu- 
lar No. 21, Division of Forestry, issued in October, 1898, to give prac- 
tical assistance to farmers, lumbermen, and others in handling forest 
lands. This offer was that the Division of Forestry would make a 
personal study of a limited number of tracts which seemed to present 
favorable opportunities to illustrate forest management, and, should it 
appear advisable after a preliminary examination, would prepare plans 
- for the forest work and supervise their execution. No charge was to be 
made for the work in case of tracts under 200 acres, nor for the pre- 
liminary examination of larger areas; but owners of large tracts were 
expected to defray the traveling expenses of the agent or agents of the 
Division while engaged in preparing working plans and in the work of 
carrying them out, and to furnish such assistance as was necessary. 
_ The conditions upon which the Division proposed to cooperate with 
owners of timber land are stated in the following agreement with Dr. 
W.S. Webb, the owner of Nehasane Park, one of the tracts considered 
in this report: 
TIMBER-LAND AGREEMENT. 
WASHINGTON, D. C., June 15, 1899. 
The Department of howieulinne of the United States and W. 8. Webb, of New 
York, county of New York, State of New York, mutually agree together as follows: 
1. The Department of Agriculture, in pursuance of investigations in forestry, and 
in order to disseminate a knowledge of improved ways of handling forest lands, 
shall, after personal study on the ground by its agent or agents, prepare a plan for 
harvesting the forest crop and reproducing the forest on the land of the said W. S. 
Webb, situated and described as follows: 40,000 acres, more or less, of virgin forest 
land in townships 37 and 38, county of Hamilton, and townships 42 and 43, county 
of Herkimer, State of New York. 
2. The said plan shall be prepared for the purpose of promoting and increasing 
the present value and usefulness of the said land to its owner, and to perpetuate 
and improve the forest upon it. 
3. Upon the completion of the said plan and its acceptance by the said W. S. Webb, 
the Department of Agriculture shall supervise the execution thereof so far as may 
be necessary. 
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