Forest and Stream. 



A Weekly Journal of the Rod and Gun. 



Terms, $4 a Tear.. 10 Cts. a Copy. \ 

 Six Months, $3. \ 



NEW YORK, APRIL 16, 1885. 



j VOL. XXIV.-No. 12. 



( Nos. 39 & 40 Park Row, New York. 



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Forest and Stream Publishing; Co. 



Nos. iJ9 AND 40 Park Row. 



New York Ctty. 



CONTENTS. 



Kditoriai- 



A'Superintendeut's Methods. 



The Adirondack Forestry Bill. 



Netting Ducks on Long Island. 



Through Two-Ocean Pass.— xni, 

 Tw, Kfortsman Tourist. 



Tue Farmer's Boy. 



Roughiusit in the National Park 



The Puget Sound Country. 

 Natural History. 



The Birds of Michigan. 



Misplaced Confidence. 

 Game Bag and Gun. 



Big Buck of the Back Woods. 



Partridge Shooting In Virginia. 



On Duck Netting. 



Colorado Game Laws. 



Some Remarkable Shots. 



Stray Shots. 



Iowa Seasons. 



The Robins Island of To-Day. 



Fire-Huulins: Deer. 



Ducking in Vermont Waters. 



St. Clair National Preserve. 



Notes from Yellowstone Park. 

 Sea and River Fishing. 



Tarpon Killed with Rod and 

 Reel. 



Black Bass for Stocking Waters. 



Trouting in Pennsylvania. 



A Remarkable Catch. 



Croppie, Crappie, Crapet. 



Royal, Anglers. 



Random Casts. 



They Thought They Had Bass. 



Lake Trout in a Stream. 



Sea and River Fishing. 

 The Most Killing Fly. 



FlSHCFLTURE. 



Oyster Farming for North 

 Carolina. 

 The Kennel. 



Spaniels at New Haven. 



Retraction. 



American Kennel Club Meeting. 



"Wildfowler." 



His Master's Picture. 



English Kennel Notes— xxviii. 



The Boston Dog Show. 



Kennel Notes. 



Kennel Management. 

 Rifle and Trap Shooting. 



Old Dominion Rifle Practice. 



Range and Gallery. 



The Trap. 



The National Gun Association. 

 Canoeing. 



A Cruise on the West Coast.— n. 



Paddling Canoes and PaddliDg 

 Races. 



A. C. A. Prize Flags. 



Canoe Pilotage, 

 Yachting. 



Small Steam Launches. 



An Excursion Cruise in a Steam 

 Yacht. 



Cruise ot the Cora. 



The Cup Races. 



Elections. 



Seawanhaka Corinthian Y. C. 



The Herreshoft" Works at Bristol 

 Answers to Correspondents. 



THE ADIRONDACK FORESTRY BILL. 



IN its slow progress through the Senate, Senator Low's 

 Forestry Commission bill is encountering many obsta- 

 cles. Some of these are based on an entire misconception of 

 its scope and object, and of the methods of forest conser- 

 vancy. 



Last week, when the bill was made the special order of 

 the day, Senator McCarthy, who is as staunch a conservator 

 as any in the House, noted with alarm that the bill made 

 provision for the felling and sale of timber, and in the 

 strongest terms deprecated the vesting of any such powers 

 in a commission, which, if appointed, should be appointed 

 to preserve and not destroy. Senator McCarthy appears 

 entirely to have overlooked the fact that in the forests, as 

 among animal organisms, one generation succeeds another, 

 and that an economic system of forest administration aims at 

 utilizing only that timber which would otherwise pass to 

 decay, by exploiting it b} r methods favorable to perfect re- 

 stocking. It is no more possible to maintain permanently a 

 forest of mature timber than permanently to maintain a 

 State with adults only. Systematic conservancy aims at 

 maintaining a due proportion between trees of all ages, from 

 seedling to maturity, and the equilibrium once established 

 can be maintained permanently, but not without systematic 

 felling. 



Senator Lansing objected to the bill because it proposed 

 to engraft the European system of forest management on the 

 State of New York, in which the conditions are widely dif- 

 ferent. The European system provides for the most eco- 

 nomical administration of the forest in the present and for 

 the permanent maintenance of their productive capacity, 

 and what the special local conditions are which should debar 

 the State of New York from the economic administration 

 and permanent maintenance of its forests, Senator Lansing 

 forebore to point out. The fact is, that in the Senate, as 



among the general public, there is a very wholesome senti- 

 ment in favor of maintaining the Adirondacks as a forest 

 reserve, but there is a very wide difference of opinion as to 

 the measures necessary or expedient for that object, and in 

 any question of appropriation before the Legislature, there is 

 such an utter want of faith in human nature that even Sen- 

 ators and Assemblymen are sometimes tempted to suspect 

 each other's motives. 



Wc do not think it would be expedient to commit the 

 State to any heavy outlay at the outset, either for commis- 

 sions or for executive work. Create a small working de- 

 partment aud call upon its chief for au annual report of 

 what is most necessary to be done, the means he proposes to 

 adopt and his estimate of costs. Whether this report be sub- 

 mitted directly to the House through the Comptroller or a 

 Board of Commissioners is of secondary importance. The 

 forest chief, who should be an expert, must necessarily 

 frame his plan of operations and the Legislature will ratify 

 or respect them at discretion, with or without the interven- 

 tion of an advisory commission. 



If the commission, appointed last year with Professor Sar- 

 gent at its head, could be induced to renew its responsibili- 

 ties during the infancy of the department, it would inspire 

 the Legislature with confidence, and render valuable support 

 to the well considered proposals of the departmental chief; 

 but the duties are onerous and uot altogether unattended 

 with expense. 



Another and more startling objection to doing anything is 

 the discovery or assertion that the State's ownership of its 

 three-quarter million of acres is questionable; that the neces- 

 sary provisions of law were not complied with for the acqui- 

 sition of the lands, and that bought at sales for taxes the 

 titles are unsound. This is startling but uot alarming. If 

 the State's title is not perfect no individuals have as good a 

 title, and the State is in possession. Bad or questionable 

 titles are characteristic of the Adirondacks. Half the land 

 owners there have allowed their lauds to be sold up for taxes 

 and bought them in, with the simple object of perfecting a 

 title. Apparently they have made nothing by the motion ; 

 but they are in little danger of being dispossessed, aud the 

 same conclusion holds good for the State with regard to its 

 holdings. The objection is technical only. 



The mere fact that land has no private owner vests it in 

 the State. 



In spite of all objections and obstacles there is reasonable 

 ground to hope that the bill will pass in some shape. A pre- 

 liminary bill may be in some respects faulty, and must needs 

 be inadequate; but the important point is to gain the recog- 

 nition by the State that the maintenance of its forests is a 

 public duty. Once embarked on that duty, the executive 

 work will naturally pass into the hands of experts, whose 

 labors and representations will sooner or later result in plac- 

 ing forest management in this country on a par with forest 

 management among the leading European nations for econ- 

 omy, efficiency and honesty. 



Leasing Trout Streams. — In our last issue we stated that 

 an individual named B. E. Best had contributed an article 

 to the Kingston Freeman, in which he called the persons who 

 leased trout streams vile names, and that his article was the 

 only indecent thing in this connection. These remarks 

 appear to have offended this gentleman, to whose knightly 

 courtesy we are indebted for another article on this subject 

 in the same paper. We are deeply impressed with his terse 

 way of stating his views, as well as by the kindly spirit in 

 which he treats those who differ with him. In speaking of 

 the gentlemen composiug Neversink, Balsam Lake, and 

 Willememoc clubs and of Forest and Stream, lie says: 

 "These wretches, calling themselves 'New York Sporting 

 Clubs,' have done rnoiv to deplete the trout streams of this 

 couutry than all others combined. Aud the wretch who edits 

 their organ is a convicted liar, as the columns of the Freeman 

 will show." Quite so. We hope he will pardon us for mak- 

 ing a correction in his statement that the Neversink Club 

 has ( obtained trout fry from the State. They stocked 

 their waters with larger fish put chased from Mr. James 

 Annin, Jr., of Caledonia, Such trifling errors will creep in 

 even w 7 ith a. gentleman so generally correct aud truthful as 

 Mr. Best, We congratulate the Freeman on having so 

 accomplished a correspondent; one who is evidently a gen- 

 tleman of the old school. He unites to a scrupulous delicacy 

 and care for the feeling of those who may chance to differ 

 with him a vigorous logic which is truly crushing in debate. 

 A study of his style may be commended to those of our 

 readers who may desire to attain the ease and grace of 

 delivery which marks the well-bred gentleman. 



NETTING DUCKS ON LONG- ISLAND. 



THE bill introduced at Albany by Senator Otis to prevent 

 the netting of ducks on Long Island has been amended. 

 The change is made in deference to the remonstrance of the 

 Long Island fishermen, who have shown that, during the 

 summer months, nets without floats must be used to catch 

 the kingfish. It is also shown that during the winter no nets 

 set on the bottom in deep water are used for any legal pur- 

 pose. Their prohibition will therefore work no injury to 

 any class except that composed of the habitual violators of 

 the law, who fill their pockets by tire sale of the strangled 

 ducks. 



This bill is one which directly interests the large and in- 

 creasing class of men on Long Island who make their living 

 in winter by gunning, or by caring for and taking out 

 strangers who come there from abroad. If the shooting is 

 made so poor that men cannot hope to have an occasional 

 day's sport when they visit the shores of the Great South 

 Bay, they will soon cease to go there, and the occupation of 

 the men who, in winter, largely depend on this kind of work, 

 will be gone. Only a few selfish lawbreakers, who care 

 nothing for the general good and nothing for the welfare of 

 their neighbors, will oppose this bill. It is supported by 

 public sentiment everywhere, and ought to pass. There is 

 reason to hope that it may receive prompt and favorable con- 

 sideration. 



A correspondent, whose letter is printed elsewhere, gives a 

 very clear summary of what is needed in this case, and it is 

 hoped that every influence possible will be brought to bear 

 on the Legislature in order that a bill which promises so 

 much may become a law. 



The Firearms Trade.— The war notes from the other 

 side have turned attention to our American armories as pos- 

 sible places of supply for the contending armies. The man- 

 agers of these rifle works and cartridge factories have been 

 thoroughly questioned by the reporters, but have shown 

 themselves adepts in fencing off the inquiries thrust at them. 

 It is pretty certain, however, that there have been a number 

 of large contracts recently placed or received in the American 

 armories, and that they are for a class of arms intended for 

 bringing down human game. The factories for fixed ammu- 

 nition are also putting out large quantities of their goods. 

 The natural tendency is when articles of this sort are needed 

 to visit the American market, and the purchaser generally 

 gets satisfied with the offers placed before him. The private 

 armories have been sustained in this way, and the country 

 enjoys the feeling of security which these institutions bring, 

 despite the fact that the Government puts its private estab- 

 lishment in direct rivalry. 



The Deer Hounding Bill.— General Curtis's bill still 

 hangs in the Senate Game Law Committee, where its oppon- 

 ents hope to keep it until the end of the session. Various 

 attempts have been and will be made to kill the bill by add- 

 ing amendments to it. Some of these except particular 

 localities, while others would permit the chasing of deer with, 

 dogs for short periods of lime. All these amendments are 

 offered with the single object of preventing the passage of the 

 bill and leaving the law at the end of the session what it is 

 now. The dogs must go. This session, we hope, but at all events 

 before long. The efforts of a few hotel keepers and of pseudo- 

 sportsmen who are unable to kill a deer except when it is 

 held for them, cannot successfully oppose the sentiment of 

 the best class of American sportsmen. The condemnation 

 of deer hounding as practiced in the Adirondacks is almost 

 universal, and comes from the east and the west, the north 

 and the south. Unless hounding is forbidden, the deer will 

 before long have been exterminated in New York State. 



For Economic Ornithology.— At its meeting, in Sep- 

 tember, 1884, the American Ornithologists' Union instructed 

 its Council to present to Congress a memorial requesting]aid 

 in carrying out the plans of the committee on bird migratton. 

 This was done, and as a result of the appeal an appropria- 

 tion of $5,000 was secured through the Department of Agri- 

 culture. This sum will, it is hoped, enable the committee to 

 carry out the work of the present year, and may perhaps 

 assist in getting the results of last season's work into shape 

 for presentation to the publie. 



Thirty-two Pages. — The pressure upon our space of 

 advertisements and news matter obliges us to print a thirty- 

 two page paper . „ 



Write on One Side of the paper oxjly-, Never roll 

 your manuscript, always fold it. 



