270 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[April 24, 1890. 



w 



THE AD1RONDACKS. 



E are glad to Dote the increased interest in the very import- 

 ant question of the best way to preserve the valuable forests 

 a Adirondacks as a park for the use and profit of tne people 



of the Adirondacks as a park 



of this State. , . , ., , .,, 



We wish to brinor out a little more clearly views and ideas which 

 have already been suggested by persons who have studied this 



SU Tne C area now owned by the State amounts to only 800,000 acres, 

 and, unfortunately, these lands are scattered all through the 

 North Woods. Thev were never picked out with any idea ot 

 forming any special park. They xxinply came to the State m 

 little lots here and there by tax sales, but every year the State 

 loses a little of what thev have held by contested claims, or by 

 some flaw in their title. There is danger of quite a large body of 

 the State lands being lost in this way, unless some steps are soon 

 taken to prevent it. t . 



No one will for a moment contest the assertion, that not. only 

 this State, but the whole country, needs the Adirondacks as a 

 great health resort and practical sanitarium. 



The idea used to be current that the North Woods were useful 

 principally in cases of lung troubles. In addition, however, to 

 this feature, many of the best medical men of the country have 

 found that the life in these woods was particularly beneficial m 

 all cases of nervous complaints, which are growing so fearfully 

 common in our country, owing to our high-pressure way of living. 



If this is the case now, it will certainly grow more land more so 

 each year. • , , TT ., _ , 



The fact is that there is no district m the whole United States 

 just like the Adirondacks; that is, that combines the advantages 

 of a special climate with forest and lake in such a way as to pro- 

 duce tbe splendid results, in the way of cures, that are known to 

 so many. „ 



If then by carelessness, or by inattention, or from fear of run- 

 ning up against the greatly dreaded bugbear of politics, we allow 

 these woods to be destroyed, there is no way that the calamity 

 can be remedied. . , . , , ,, . 



The lumbermen operating in these woods claim that they do 

 very little damage, but we only need to call attention to other 

 sections of the country, where lumbering operations have been 

 going on. to show that great destruction really comes from the 

 method of lumbering adopted by some persons. 



For instance, there are sections in Pennsylvania, where fifteen 

 years ago there were most magnificent forests; to-day these same 

 sections are almost entirely denuded of trees and present a most 

 doleful aspect. _ , 



In one little town, White Haven, Luzerne county,Pa., there were 

 fifteen years ago at least twenty large saw-mills in active opera- 

 tion, obtaining their logs from the country near them; to-day m 

 White Haven only one mill remains, and that will saw its last 

 stock this y6£tr* 



A few years ago there was a beautiful forest of about 60,000 

 acres, mostly in Monroe count v, Pa., around the Pocono Moun- 

 tain. To-day but 3,000 acres of this plot are left that are worth 

 anything for lumbering. . , 



It was hoped that the second growth coming up m tins Sf etion 

 would be valuable, but on ar count of constant fires, this growth 

 has never amounted to anything. 



We could recount hundreds of cases like the above, to show now 

 fast the timber of the country is being cut off, but our space will 

 not permit it. . 



The special danger in allowing lumbermen to go m and cut in- 

 discriminate^' is that of lire. It is bad enough to have to watch 

 the summer campers; but the lumbermen are much worse; and 

 when a fire gets under good headway, it does an immense amount 

 of damage. , . , - 



Sufficient stress has not been laid upon the advantages, m a 

 financial way, that would accrue to the State if it owned the 

 majority of these woods in one grand park. 



Any amount of statistics could be given, to show what has been 

 done in Germany by their Department of Forestry. An annual 

 revenue from this source is collected by the Prussian Government 

 of over 88,000,000. Of course it has taken years to build up their 

 most capital system, and their territory devoted to timber cul- 

 ture, would be larger than ours; but in proportion, what has been 

 done there can be accomplished here, if we only go to work at it 

 in the right way. * ,' ; . 



We could easily arrange to engage two or three men who had 

 had years of careful training under the German Forestry Depart- 

 ment, and b v giving them good men to work under them, we could 

 soon organize a force that would control and watch over the 

 wbole North Woods. , 



If then the State, by an issue of bonds, bearing a low rate of in- 

 terest, 3}4 to 4 per cent., should purchase a large portion of the 

 Adirondacks district, it would take but a short time, under these 

 trained German foresters, to make the project a paying one for 

 the State. , , , ± . , 



In all sections of these woods there are certain trees that need 

 cutting each year, to better preserve the life and health of other 

 trees near them. All this subject, of course, is perfectly under- 

 stood by these foresters. , ; . 



Without allowing any other sawmills to be built, a sufficient 

 number of those already in operation could be kept to saw up the 

 trees necessary to be cut. , . ., 



It has been found that a good many of the pine-trees in the 

 Adirondacks should have been cut years ago, as they show signs 

 of a dry rot iu parts of them when cut down. 



The sawmills would gladly pay the State a stumpage of $3 per 

 thousand feet on pine and of $2 per thousand on spruce. 



As it would be necessary to cut each year quite a number of 

 trees, to take care properly of the forest, it can easily be proved 

 - that enough revenue would come in to the State not only to pay 

 its interest on its forest bonds, but also to establish a fund to pay 

 them off. , , 



No one who has not watched these foresters at work has any 

 idea of how much it is necessary for them to do. 



There are dead trees to be removed, windfalls to be cleared up, 

 decayed underbrush to be collected and burnt, trees to be planted, 

 others selected for cutting down, timber thieves to be watched, 

 campers to be kept under proper control, fires to be put out, as- 

 sistants to be trained, reports made out, and so on to the end of a 

 long chapter. ' . 



It goes without saying, that these foresters would make tne 

 woods so much more valuable to the State that the expenses of 

 their department would be but a small item. 



The law to expend 825,000 in purchasing land for the State, at 

 the rate of St. 50 per acre, is good as far as it goes, but it is very 

 unfair to give the general public the impression that the State is 

 going to be able to purchase all the timber lands it wants at such 



a When Stumpage in the Adirondacks is held so firmly at from 

 $150 to S3 per thousand £eet for spruce, and when the average 

 acre of virgin forest contains about 3,000 to 6,000ft. of spruce, suit- 

 able for saw logs, it is impossible to expect lumbermen, who have 

 purchased these lands for their own use, to hand them over to the 

 State for $1,50 per acre, when they can realize from $6 to $12 per 

 acre by selling the stumpage. 



It would be an odd thing, unjust, unfair, and certainly not legal, 

 for the State to say to lumbermen who had mills and fixed plants 

 in operation: "You must wipe out your mills, and stand a total 

 loss in them, and we will give you $1.50 per acre for lands that 

 have cost, you from $3 to $5 per acre." . 



If on the other hand, the State should arrange some fair com- 

 promise as 10 the price of the land, with the added understand- 

 ing that the mills would not be a total loss, but that the State 

 would sell to the mill owners such trees as they found necessary 

 to cut, then it would not be hard to come to some satisfactory 

 settlement. 



One word as to the railroads. 



The roads running into the mountains have been greatly con- 

 demned, and for some reasons very unjustly so. , , , 



They have done some injury, but not anything like what has 

 been talked. * k'a 



Under the system we have mentioned the foresters would 

 allow no cutting of hardwoods for making charcoal. It is this 

 practice that has caused so much destruction in some sections. 



The Forest Commisssiouers and the State authorities seem to 

 forget entirely the "greatest good of the greatest number." The 

 people who wish to go to the woods are not "entirely" made up of 

 the rich class, who can afford to have their swell private camps; 

 their two or three guides at $4 per day each, their handsome boats, 

 and other expenses in proportion. 



The large body of people who would like to go to the woods 

 (but have in many cases been prevented on account of the high 

 scale of expenses prevailing there) want to get there in the 

 cheapest and quickest way, and need facilities for getting 

 around without having to hire the expensive guides and their boats 



We hope to see the two Adirondack roads connect at Long 

 Lake When this is done many hours will be saved in the trip 

 from New York. Persons leaving New York at 7 P. M. will be at_ 

 Paul Smith's at 8 A. M. the next morning, and thousands of 

 people will enjoy the woods that have hitherto been prevented 

 from coming by the long, tedious and expensive trip. 



These roads, too, will be needed to carry the logs to the mills 

 that the State will wish to sell, and to carry to market the manu- 

 factured lumber, and to bring in the thousand and one supplies 

 the people in the woods need, 



As it is now, the freight and carrying charges in the small boats | 

 on these supplies often amount to two or three times what the 

 ;oods cost in the first place in New York. So when some hot- 

 headed people talk of tearing up the present roads, they simply 

 show that they have no practical knowledge of the life in the 

 woods and its needs. 



Another very important point should be mentioned, where 

 these roads do great good, and this is in safely and gently bring- 

 ing invalids in where there is some chance of saving their lives. 



In the old days that some of us so well remember, the poor in- 

 valids, haTdly able to be out of bed at all, were bounced over 

 rough roads in hard riding coaches and made to walk over car- 

 ries, from one lake to another, with the evident result in many 

 cases of killing them on the spot, before they had any chance to 

 be helped by the pure Adirondack air. 



Compare this old system with the new one of bringing people 

 into the woods in comfortable palace cars, and tell us whether the 

 railroads should he entirely condemned. 



Although we have been speaking mainly of the preservation of 

 the woods for purposes ot health and rest, and sport, still, ot 

 course, all the plans we have mentioned carry with them the idea 

 of keeping up the forests, as a help to the water supply needed for 

 the Hudson and other rivers. What helps one idea does the same 

 for the other. 



They tell us that nothing can be done toward carrying out our 

 plans because of "politics." 



Perhaps this is so, but if it is so, it is a sad thing that these beau- 

 tiful woods should be lost, because enough public spirit ranuot be 

 aroused to overcome this demon of politics. 



New York city, alas! has as little true public spirit, as any place 

 in the world, and we fear it is the same with the State; but not- 

 withstanding these obstacles, it ought to be possible to excite 

 enough interest, all through the State to bring this whole matter 

 so forcibly before the proper authorities that they would feel 

 obliged to yield to public opinion.— Hie New Yorlt Lumber Tr ade 

 Journal. 



. AQUARIA NOTES. 



Occasional Observations on the Fishes in the Aquaria of the U. S. 

 Fish Commission. 



BREEDING HABITS OF THE UNIONID^. 



TWO species of the fresh-water mussel ( Unto), which 

 cannot be positively identified in their present half- 

 buried position, are nearly ready to throw off or allow the 

 escape of the young. They present an unusual and beau- 

 tiful appearance with their lobed egg sacks protruding 

 from between two sets of curious tentacles which are 

 probably only developed at this period. The two sketches 

 herewith presented were kindly furnished by Mr. S. F, 

 Denton, artist of the IT. S. Fish Com., from two beauti- 

 ful color sketches which he has made for the Commission. 

 It will be seen that while the shells are outwardly very 

 much alike, the peculiar development of the mantle is 

 very different in each. The difference in color is also 

 very great. In the one with the small tentacles the 

 color of the mantle is white tipped with pale yellow, 



rv — .JY 



FRESH-WATER MUSSEL, THROWING OFF THE YOUNG. 



with the egg sack a pale slate color. In the other the 

 mantle is salmon color, from pale to quite deep tints, 

 while the egg sack is purple. It is hoped that these 

 sketches may prove useful to some conchologist. These 

 characters should be a positive means of identification. 

 It appears that the family is at present very much mixed, 

 and it is difficult to get any information concerning them. 

 The authorities say of the generative habit that the eggs 

 are fertilized in the fall of the year and are carried by 

 the female throughout the winter undergoing develop- 

 ment' to the swimming stage. About March they are 

 thrown off or make their escape and enter into the swim- 

 ming stage in which they are armed with some little 

 hooks by means of which they fasten to fish or aquatic 

 animals, where they undergo still further development, 

 finally dropping off and sinking to the bottom as the 

 fully developed mussel, but still very small. 



INTERNAL PARASITE COMMON AMONG FISHES. 



Upon opening a striped bass (Roccus lineatus) to en- 

 deavor to discover the cause of its death, thirteen worms, 

 measuring from 5 to lOin. in length, were taken from its 

 visceral cavity. In each of two other specimens a smaller 

 number were found. It is a long, thin wiry worm, about 

 the thickness of a pin, with pointed extremeties of whit- 

 ish color. At times some of the striped bass, which are 

 still living in the aquarium, will have one or more of 

 these worms hanging to a length of several inches out of 

 the vent and anal orifice. Iu one case there were two 

 from the vent and four from the anus. This appears to 

 occur only when the fish has a lack of food or does not 

 feed normally, and the intestine is empty. This appears 

 to be the same worm which infests fish generally in both 

 salt and fresh water and which is so frequently mentioned 

 in that connection by anglers and others. The writer 

 has found it protruding from the walls of living fish so 

 widely separated as the pike and the sucker, having 



evidently bored through from the visceral cavity. Thai 

 the worm was the same in all these cases is only suj 

 posed from its external appearance, the writer havin 

 neither the time for nor the means of identification i 

 hand. 



Apparently the same worm is found in numbers i 

 the intestines or visceral cavity of the common killifis 

 (Fundulus lieieroclitm), and probably in all of them, i 

 numbers during J uly and August. As this fish forms 

 large portion of the food of the food fishes, this worm 

 no doubt largely distributed among fishes in this way. 



As those noticed by the writer were found in the. vi 

 ceral cavity of the striped bass, instead of in the inte 

 tines, they must bore through the walls of the intestin 

 to find their way out of the vent and anal orifice, unles 

 indeed, in some of them they are in both intestine an 

 visceral cavity. 



A yellow perch recently opened by Mr. Alex. Jones, s 

 observing attendant of Central Station hatchery, wg 

 found to have one of these worms coiled up within t 

 fleshy walls outside the ribs— encysted , as it were. A 

 previously stated, these worms do not appear to trouhl 

 the fish until the intestines are empty; but concerninf 

 those in the visceral cavity, it is hard to understand wbjj 

 connection there is between the two facte, unless will 

 their sharp, wiry-pointed heads they intrude themselvil 

 through the walls of the intestine for their food. 



Washington, April 12. Wm'. P. SEAL. | 



MAINE PROSPECTS. 



rpHE ice is getting thin on the Maine lakes and ponds, 

 JL the latest reports indicate that the opening of thi 

 waters will be early. Not earlier than last year, for tl 

 is hardly possible, but earlier than the average. A red 

 letter from Moosehead expresses the opinion that tl 

 lake will be clear of ice by the 15th of May— possibly 

 the 1st. Reports from the Rangeley waters indicate th] 

 the ice is thinner than last year, even, when the ice we 

 out on the 29th of April, twelve or thirteen days earli 

 than the average. But other reports speak of cold weatbj 

 in that section, with hard freezes every night for a wee 

 On the whole the ice is likely to start from the Rangelej 

 earlier than usual this year. The Sebago waters, in tH 

 State, are about ready to clear of ice, even if the ice M 

 not already started, and the landlocked salmon fisherm 

 are on the watch. Indeed, one party of Portland fish 

 men came very near starting one day last week, uno 

 a false impression that the ice had moved from the nor] 

 and was half way down the lake. 



The first salmon of the season has been landed at Bi 

 gor, but this one has not yet been followed by the g< 

 run that the sportsmen are hoping for, though the i 

 are tried every day. The Boston sportsmen who propji 

 trying for the salmon at Bangor are anxiously waiti 

 for the telegraph to announce that the salmon are ris 1 

 freely. Somehow there is not much confidence ami 

 the sportsmen concerning the run of salmon at Bai 

 this spring. The fear is that already the extensive 

 mills on the river above— with its many branches 

 beginning to be lined with pulp mills — are about to sh 

 their deadly work upon the salmon of the Penobso 

 The chemicals that are discharged into these streams ; 

 believed to be death-dealing to the salmon. Last yeai 

 was particularly noted that tbe ascending salmon inv? 

 ably crossed over to the other shore, where it was pot) 

 ble to avoid the deadly chemicals, and that frequen 

 they were found dead. The great majority of th 

 many ptfip mills on that river and its tributaries are J 

 work of a couple of years, and it will be remembered tl 

 last year was the first when the great run of salmon 

 Bangor began to fall off. In fact, the run of last y 

 was practically a failure. Now, this lack of a run 1 

 year may be due to other causes; but the theory of th 

 best posted, and who have given the subject the m 

 thought, coupled with a good deal of experience, is t> 

 the salmon are either being killed by the pulp mi 

 chemicals or they are so disgusted with the foulness of 

 waters of the river they are wont to ascend that they 

 turned aside into other streams, or else they do not le. 

 the salt water at all. This theory may not be the con 

 one, but the results of this season will be anxioc 

 watched. It may be that excessive netting, which is j 

 mitted at Bucksport and at other points on the river 

 low Bangor, is a great reason why the salmon do 

 ascend the river. Already a good many salmon h, 

 been taken by these fishermen below Bangor and w 

 into the Boston market. 



Perhaps it is a misfortune to grow old, but it is ala 

 great pleasure to feel that one has true friends, and t 

 their friendship becomes more strongly cemented as 

 years roll around. This is especially true of those f rie 

 with whom we have hunted, camped and fished, till 

 feel that they are near to us from the brotherhood b 

 of the woods and the streams. Such is the feeling t 

 prompts the writing of these lines The writer had 

 good fortune to have a birthday the other day— a bi: 

 day numbered with quite a respectable numeral, wit 

 cipher on the right of it. At his home there was wait 

 for him in the evening an elegant split-bamboo trout I 

 rod, engraved with the date "April 19, '90. To — 

 from O. H. S." Just beside it there also reposed asil 

 mounted compass of the best make, also engra^ 



"April 19, '90. To from G. T. F." Both 



readers of the FOREST AND STREAM, and may they 

 to fish many years longer is the devout wish of 



Specia, 



Bangor Salmon.— The first salmon of the season 

 taken at Bangor, April 14, by Mr. E. A. Buck. It 

 taken just below the waterworks dam, and was a 

 fish, weighing 12lbs. The fish was purchased by Me? 

 Lynch and Gallagher. The fishing has thus ope 

 about the same time as last year, and there appears tj 

 no reason why it should not be as good this season 

 was last. The salmon angling at Bangor presents mj 

 attractions, and seems to "grow more popular from j 

 to year. 



To Salmon Anglers.— T. J. Conroy. 65 Fulton street, N 

 has a lot of fine salmon rods, assorted kinds, which he will s< 

 a sacrifice until stock is reduced. Don't miss the opportune 

 Adv. 



The catalogue of Messrs. Chas. Plath & Son, of 130 Canal si 

 is nor, as was erroneou>ly stated in a recent issue of Forest- 

 Stream, devoted mainly to tackle for salt-water fishing. Oi 

 contrary, while this firm sells all that is needed by the aalt-v 

 angler, their trade with the West constitutes a large portid 

 their business, and they are prepared to supply anything tfl 

 fresh-water angler may require.-^dv, 



