HYDROLOGY OF NEW YORK 



185 



per year 1 in the way of forest products; or since for 47.G20 square 

 miles there are 30,476,800 acres, Ave may say that the forest 

 products would be worth about $01,000,000 per year. But accord- 

 ing to the United States Census of 1900, the agricultural products 

 of New York were worth $245,000,000 per year, or, as an average, 

 about |8 per acre. It is absurd, therefore, to discuss the refor- 

 estation of the w r hole State of New York in order to increase the 

 low-water flow of streams and to decrease the hight of floods. 

 Were this to be done the productive capacity of the State would 

 be reduced over $180,000,000 per year. 



The long-time element in forestry may also be taken into ac- 

 count, and the following statement by Mr B. E. Fernow, Director 

 of the New York State College of Forestry of Cornell University, 

 is pertinent. 2 



The one thing in which the forestry business differs from all 

 other business is the long-time element, for it takes a hundred 

 Years and more to grow trees fit for the use of the engineer, the 

 builder and the architect ; hence, the dollar spent now in its first 

 start must come back, with compound interest, a hundred years 

 hence. 



In view of this statement it is well to keep in mind that refor- 

 estation will be substantially without effect for fifty years and 

 of only partial effect in one hundred years, and that for its full 

 effects in increasing the flow of a stream about one hundred and 

 fifty years must elapse. In many parts of New York the flood 

 flows of streams are very destructive — a conservative estimate 

 places the loss in 1902 at over $3,000,000. The question, therefore, 

 may be asked, Must we wait from one hundred to one hundred 

 and fifty years, while forests are growing, in the meantime suffer- 

 ing nearly every year from the devastating effects of extreme 

 floods? 



Whatever question there may be as to the influence of forests 

 on rainfall, there is, in the opinion of the writer, none as to such 



*6th An. Rept. of Forest, Fish and Game Commission of New York, for 

 1900, p. 96. 



3 The Forester, an Engineer, by B. E. Fernow. In Jour, of Western Soc. 

 of Engrs., Vol. VI, No. 5 (Oct. 1901). 



