176 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



In that rear the State owned 1142.9 square miles, of which 8(11.1 

 square miles were situated within the lines of the Adirondack 

 park. In 1897 the Forest Preserve Board was created, consisting 

 of three members, whose duties were to acquire for the State, by 

 purchase or otherwise, land, structures or water in the territory 

 embraced in the Adirondack park. Under this act, purchases 

 were made within the limits of the park, between May, 1897, and 

 January 1, 1900, amounting to 497 square miles. The total owned 

 by" the State, therefore, in the park in 1900 was 1358.1 square 

 miles. There are 101.1 square miles of improved lands within the 

 lines of the Adirondack park. It is not proposed to purchase 

 these lands, although if any should be abandoned or offered for 

 sale at woodland prices, they might be purchased for reforesting. 

 The soil of the Adirondack plateau is mostly worthless for agri- 

 culture. Over a considerable portion of the region frosts occur in 

 every month except July, and it is impossible to cultivate any of 

 the cereals except oats, as well as many of the ordinary crops of 

 the lowlands. Hay is the principal crop. The region generally 

 is valuable only for forestry and water storage. 



Area of Forest preserve. The following area, with small deduc- 

 tion as previously noted, is included in the Adirondack Forest 

 preserve : 



Square miles 



Essex county 1,926 



Hamilton county 1,745 



Warren county 968 



St Lawrence county 2,880 



Franklin county 1,718 



Herkimer county 1.745 



Clinton county 1,092 



Fulton county 544 



Lewis county L288 



Oneida county 1.215 



Saratoga county 862 



Washington county 850 



Jefferson county 1,868 



Total : : . . . . 18,701 



