12 PRACTICAL FORESTRY IN THE ADIRONDACKS. 
Upon the entire tract of 4,500 acres on which the timber was marked 
there were left 9,635 trees 10 inches and over in diameter, or slightly 
over 2 trees per acre. It is estimated that these trees averaged about 
one-fourth of one standard each. There were thus designated to be left 
on the whole lumbered area 2,409 standards for the purpose of seed. 
Of trees under 10 inches in diameter 351 were marked to be cut. 
WORK OF THE CONTRACTORS. 
When the work was first begun considerable difficulty was found in 
teaching the sawyers to cut only such trees as were marked. They 
had been so accustomed to remove every tree of merchantable size and 
character that it was some time before they could be brought to do 
satisfactory work. It was deemed best by the manager ot Nehasane 
Park and the writer not to impose a penalty on the contractors the 
first year for occasional mistakes made by the sawyers. A consider- 
able number of such mistakes were made by the sawyers, but in view 
of the fact that the work was new to the lumbermen and that no pen- 
alties were inflicted the results were very satisfactory, so far as the cut- 
ting of timber for logs was concerned. The cutting of Spruce for skids 
and for leveling roads, on the other hand, was more difficult to regulate, 
and in many places trees which had been left for seed were used for skids, 
and small growth was used for bridges, road bedding, etc. (Pl. XIX.) 
This possible loss was, however, taken into consideration in the 
marking, and there were left in nearly every case other seed trees which 
may distribute seed over the opening made in lumbering. Much more 
Spruce was cut in this way than was necessary, and it is reeommended 
in the plan for the second year that a system be adopted to prevent 
the cutting of trees that are not marked and using small Spruce for 
lumbering purposes when it can be avoided. 
The best work was done on the two jobs operated by the contractor. 
The lumber jobs which were sublet were less satisfactory. There was 
less disposition to carry out the orders regarding the marking, and the 
lumbering itself was less intelligently carried on. The trees were care- 
lessly felled in many cases, destroying much more young growth than 
was necessary; the skidding was less carefully done, and the roads 
were not laid out with the care and skill which ought to characterize 
all lumbering to-day. On all the jobs the stumps were cut unnecessa- 
rily high, a considerable number of trees were left lodged in hardwoods, 
and a very large number of Spruce skids were left in the woods which 
might have been utilized for pulp. The needless waste of small Spruce 
in leveling roads was particularly to be regretted. In the majority of 
cases there is plenty of Balsam, Hemlock, or hardwood which would 
answer the purpose equally well, and the use of small Spruce for this 
purpose is entirely unjustifiable. In a number of instances a consider- 
able amount of small Spruce was cut by the teamsters in order to 
obtain brush to check the sleds on steep slopes. Such work is entirely 
unnecessary. 
