APRIL 7, 189S.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



823 



NATIONAL ECONOMIC VALUE OF GAME. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I regret to observe that your journal and perhaps the 

 readers of your journal seem to take but little active in- 

 terest in the movement for rational forest management, 

 which has just received a new momentum by the author- 

 ity placed in the President, to make forest reservations 

 in the public domain. • 



I do not know whether you are aware that three reser- 

 vations have already been proclaimed and about a dozen 

 more are under examination. One in northern Minnesota 

 comprising areas of from three to six million acres de- 

 serves especially your attention and the active and ex- 

 pressed support of every sportsman, as well as every 

 rational thinking citizen. 



I take pleasure in sendiug you f urther information re- 

 garding tbi3 movement, inclosed. 



I wish to impress your readers with the fact, that while 

 these reservations are not asked for game preserves or 

 parka, but for economic forestry purposes, there is no hetter 

 method of preserving game than a well conducted forestry 

 administration which secures a proper natural or artific- 

 ial reforestation of the areas that are cut over. The reason 

 is, that such reforestation produces thickets here and 

 there, in which the game can hide, multiply and be for a 

 time safe. Every sportsman knows, that the game is 

 being killed out everywhere in this country. I maintain 

 that this is largely due to the absence of forest manage- 

 ment with the resulting dense cover, providing hiding 

 places. 



In this connection your readers will be interested in the 

 following statistics, which refer to a country which is 

 densely settled, more so than any State of the Union ex- 

 cept Massachussetts or Rhode Island, and where although 

 35 per cent, of the forest area is under the conservative 

 management of the Government, the fields and the other 

 65 per cent, of forest are open to the chase, which is one 

 of the best loved sports of the country. Prussia, 24 per 

 cent, of which is foi'ested, contains 208,000 square miles, 

 or an area about equal to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Mich- 

 igan combined or to the North Atlantic States from Maine 

 to Virginia. For the year 1885 to 1886 the government 

 of Prussia ascertained full statistics of the game killed in 

 the whole kingdom on private and public lands, which 

 were published with much interesting detail. Naturally 

 the figures which refer to the first source are under-state- 

 ments, since it is difficult to ascertain them fully, hence 

 the figures are conservative. The results are surprising 

 and exceeded all estimates. 



The amount of game killed in this one year, in Prussia, 

 was 4,573,634 heads. Valuing this game at the moderate 

 tax prices which the government takes for the game 

 killed in its preserves, the value of running game was 

 $2,082,687, and that of the birds $731,448, a total of nearly 

 $3,000,000. These figures, which correspond to a meat 

 product of not less than 30,000,0001bs. show plainly the 

 economic importance of the game, and that hunting may 

 be made not simply a sport for the rich, but a very im- 

 portant factor in the welfare of the country. It must 

 not be forgotten that this represents only such proportion 

 of the game as is annually reproduced, the "capital stock" 

 being kept more or less unimpaired. 



An interesting calculation was also made as to the 

 amount of ammunition used for this purpose. In order to 

 obtain fairly approximate results, the estimate was made 

 only for hares and partridges. There were killed in 

 round numbers, 5,000,000, haresand 2,000,000 game birds. 

 Allowing four shots for each piece of game, the number 

 of shots would be 28,000,000, each containing loz. of lead, 

 and £ of an ounce of powder. According to this there 

 were used in this one year not less than 1,750,000 pounds 

 of lead, and nearly 300,000 pounds of powder. This, it is 



to be remembered, was onlv for the hares and partridges; 

 there were also killed 766,000 stags, 1,794,095 roe, 229,538 

 wild boar, besides many foxes, wildcats, and other in- 

 jurious animals. 



Of the scarcer game there are recorded 9 elks in the 

 Province of East Prussia, 17 beavers in Saxony, 592 seals, 

 4 wolves in East Prussia, Brandenburg (!) and Rhine 

 Province. Game is most abundant in Silesia and least in 

 Hessen-Nassau. 



This short account shows, that the sportsman's paradise 

 can exist where population is densest, where every foot 

 of ground is used for a purpose, where forest manage- 

 ment exists without any parks specially set aside for 

 game preserves, if matters are properly regulated. 



In the establishment of the forest reservations, we are 

 taking the first step to a rational management of our 

 resources, and every sportsman should for his own benefit 

 give his earnest outspoken aid to secure both the establish- 

 ment and rationai management of such forest reserves. 



B. E. Fernow, Chief of Forestry Division. 

 U. S. Depabtment of Agriculture, 



Division of Forestry, Washington, D. C , March 2. 



A Baby Manatee in a tank on board the steamboat St. 

 Augustine, plying on the Indian River, attracts the wide- 

 eyed admiration of all the passengers. The baby is only a 

 few weeks old and weighs loOlbs. Its little head-like eyes 

 look through the glass and express satisfaction with the 

 new quarters, where it gets an abundance of manatee grass 

 and green oats, which it devours with ravenous avidity, but 

 only at night. Messrs. Hepburn and Miller, two citizens of 

 the Indian River county, discovered the baby manatee one 

 night feeding peacefully upon the banks of the river among 

 the tall manatee grass. Tbe gentlemen approached stealthily 

 with muffled oars and grabbed the baby by the tail. The 

 baby started off as if it had received an electric shock, and 

 ploughed through the tall grass, which bent and cracked as 

 the water sped through with a comb of froth at the bows, 

 making dead for the open water and the inlet, where the 

 breakers were rolling in grand undulation and breaking over 

 the shore with a thunderous sound. Mr. Hepburn held on 

 like grim death to the baby!s tail, while Mr. Miller steered 

 the fast-flying little boat safely by obstructions, which 

 came so near at times that death and demolition were only 

 escaped. They were determined to have that baby at any 

 cost. After a miie-a-minute journey of fully six miles the 

 little manatee seemed to tire of the struggle, not, however, 

 before he had rushed through the first line of breakers of 

 the inlet. At last he was beached and carried back in tri- 

 umph to the other side of the river.— Times-Union, Jack- 

 sonville, Ma. 



Words of Appreciation. 



Press of official buaness and absence have prevented me from 

 sooner writing you a few lines expressing congratulation and 

 admiration for your last successful effort to keep your valued 

 paper up with the march of sporting taste in America. I possess 

 one of the first numbers of the first volume of the Forest and 

 Stream; and all others up to date, and have observed with pride 

 and interest its frequent improvements, as the development of 

 gentlemanly and manly sports have followed in its wake; and it 

 is a well-recognized fact that your paper has greatly contributed 

 toward encouraging the cultivation of the ennobling recreation 

 its pages so successfully and graphically describe. Your new issue 

 of 32 pages, filled with interesting reading matter and excellent 

 engravings, is highly appreciated by your numerous friends here, 

 and no doubt by every one who has seen it, and I sincerely hope 

 will crown your efforts with perfect success and bring the reward 

 you so richly deserve. May you continue to teach the young idea 

 how to shoot and do many other manly things to help them grow 

 up strong, self-reliant men; teach their elders, often worried and 

 tired with the battles of life, to find health and enjoyment, breath- 

 ing God's pure air and admiring the beauties of nature, and that 

 your good works may continue long after we older sportsmen may 

 have gone to other and, we hope, happier hunting grounds, are 

 the best wishes of yours sincerely, J. U. Gregory (Quebec). 



THE FORESTRY BUILDING. 



THE Forestry Building is, in appearance, perhaps the 

 most unique of all the Exposition structures. Its 

 dimensions are 200 by 500ft. To a remarkable degree its 

 architecture is of the rustic order. On all four sides of 

 the building is a veranda, supporting the roof of which 

 is a colonnade consisting of a series of columns composed 

 of three tree-trunks each 25ft. in length, one of them 

 from 16 to 20in. in diameter and the others smaller. All 

 of these trunks are left in their natural state with bark 

 undisturbed. They are contributed by the different 

 States and Territories of the Union and by foreign coun- 

 tries, each furnishing specimens of its most characteris- 

 tic trees. The sides of the building are constructed of 

 slabs with the bark removed. The window frames are 



ing the cornice of the veranda and extending all around 

 the building are numerous flagstaff s bearing the colors, 

 coat-of-arms, etc., of the nations and States represented 

 in the exhibits inside. 



The Forestry Building contains a most varied exhibi- 

 tion of forest products in general— the most complete 

 which could be gathered together. It contains logs and 

 sections of trees, worked lumber in the form of shingles, 

 flooring, casing, etc. There are shown here dye woods 

 and barks, mosses, galls, abnormal woody products, lich- 

 ens, vegetable substances used for bedding and uphol- 

 stery, gums, resins, vegetable ivory, cocoanut shells, 

 gourds, wood pulp, rattan, willowware and woodenware 

 generally, such as pails, tubs, brooms, etc. There is also 

 an exceedingly interesting monographic display of the 

 different States, in which their characteristic woods are 



treated in the same rustic manner as is the rest of the 

 building. The main entrance is elaborately finished in 

 different kinds of wood, the material and workmanship 

 being contributed by the wood workers of the world. 

 The other entrances are finished artistically to represent 

 the woods of different countries and regions. The roof 

 is thatched, not with straw, as was erroneously stated 

 some time ago, but with tanbark and other barks. The 

 interior of the building is finished in various woods in a 

 way to show their beautiful graining, susceptibility to 

 polish, etc. The visitor can make no mistake as to the 

 kinds of tree-trunks which form the colonnade, for he 

 will see upon each one a tablet upon which are inscribed 

 the common and scientific name, the State or country 

 from which the trunk was contributed and other perti- 

 nent information, such as the approximate quantity of 

 such timber in the region whence it came. Surmount- 



FORESTRY BUILDING, 



Worlds Columbian Exposition. 



most effectively and beautifully shown. 



The Forestry Building was designed by P. B, Atwood, 

 Chief Designer in the Exposition's Construction Depart- 

 ment, and cost about $100,000. Chief Buchanan, of the 

 Exposition's Department of Agriculture, is entitled to the 

 lion's share of credit for the existence of this exceedingly 

 novel and attractive building and display. As Acting 

 Forestry Chief he induced the Directory to make the 

 necessary appropriation of money, and he devoted much 

 time and energy in effecting the erection of the building 

 and the collection of the exhibit. The structure has a 

 delightful site near the lake shore in the southeastern 

 portion of the grounds. In itself and in the exhibits it 

 contains it illustrates the forestry wealth of the world, 

 and particularly of the United States. No forestry dis- 

 play was ever made before which approached this in ex- 

 tent or completeness. 



The euxl texts of the game fish laws of all the States, 

 Territories and British Provinces are given in the Book of 

 the Game Laws. 



MISPLACED SYMPATHY. 



TTK sat down on the river hank, waiting for a bite; 



He didn't know the sun was hot, though its rays were white- 

 1 watched him from a shady nook, beneath a friendly tree. 

 He was A study, that old man, a patient waiter, he. 

 His rod was held with steady hand— he uever moved a muscle- 

 Saving all his inward strength, waiting for a tussle. 

 My heart was touched, he looked so sad, sitting there alone; 

 I tried to say sorne kindly words— he couldn't hear a tone. 

 His heard was long and snowy white, emblem of weary years. 

 I felt his race was almost run— my eyes were filled with tears. 

 I little thought the old man bad a particle of vim; 

 His hands were lean, and I could see the trembling of each limb. 

 At last there came a "mighty yank," and then a livelv run; 

 tii seemed to wake the old man up— and such a string of tongue. 

 I tried to take the old saint down, but shorthand wasn't in it; 

 Tho beat of pot-hooks failed to catch three hundred words a 

 minute. 



He reeled that fish with all his might, and then he let it go; 

 He danced about like any kid— his face was all aglow. 

 At last I saw a gaping mouth, and then a ten-pound e*t. 

 And floating down the stream I saw the old man's summer hat. 

 He didn't know his hat was gone— he tied his fish fast to a string; 

 Then down he sat in broiling sun, and I could see him grin. 

 As I passed on into the wood 1 left my every fear— 

 I thought the old man wdth the rod would live another year. 

 California. Marion. 



WINTER PICKEREL FISHING. 



ALTHOUGH I am not much of an angler, I am always 

 interested in piscatorial matters, and have read 

 with pleasure "Special's" contribution to your columns 

 about this winter sport. But there is one thing that seems 

 strange to me, and that is the size of the fish. From 

 "Special's" and all other accounts about the pickerel fish- 

 ing around Boston, I judge that the fish generally taken 

 weigh from 2 to 51bs. The latter weight considered to be 

 a good-sized pickerel, while one that a boy caught was 

 "an enormous pickerel," as "it must have weighed six 

 or seven pounds." Now, I do not want to belittle the 

 "Hub's pickerel fishing, for I presume it afforded fine 

 sport to many of its citizens during the long winter. 



As I said in the beginning, I am not much of an angler, 

 never having put a line in .Niagara county waters since 

 I became a resident, nearly thirty years ago, although 

 I am a member of the Niagara County Anglers' Club, a 

 flourishing organization, of which I secured the names 

 of eighty of the first one hundred members. But I have 

 done some pickerel fishing on the St. Lawrence and 

 Indian rivers in Jefferson county, but have never fished 

 for them through the ice. Indian River had no pickerel 

 in it until nine years ago this present month, although a 

 number of the small lakes lying between it and the St. 

 Lawrence contained them as long ago as I can remember, 

 and it is on these lakes that the pickerel fishing through 

 the ice has been done. A. J. O'Niel, of Theresa, caught 

 one a few years since that weighed lSjlbs., another party 

 caught one weighing 21 ilbs. These I mention as being 

 enormous pickerel, and not many are caught of these 

 sizes; but none are retained that weigh less than 81bs. 



While on Indian River during October, 1890, a party 

 told me that of thirteen pickerel caught one day seven 

 were put back in the water, the balance ran from 4 to 

 91bs. Above I mentioned that there were no pickerel in 

 Indian River until nine years ago this month (1883), when 

 about 200 werejtakenfrom Butterfield Lake, none of them 

 weighing over 2 lbs., and put into the river. In July, 

 1885, one was taken that weighed lOlbs. 6oz., an increase 

 of over 81bs. in two years and four months, which 

 seems almost incredible, but as it was taken during an 

 anglers' tournament, where prizes were offered for the 

 largest mascalonge, small and large-mouth black bass 

 and pickerel, and as it was weighed by competent judges 

 there can be no doubt about it. And here I would like 

 to say that I think the introduction of pickerel into In- 

 dian River is a detriment to the mascalonge and black 

 bass fishing. Perhaps "Special" and other Boston cor- 

 respondents may claim that the pickerel taken there are 

 a different species of pike than those taken in northern 

 New York, and I hope they may be, as I cannot under- 

 stand what an angler wants of a pickerel of 1 or 21bs. 

 weight. 



Tuere is certainly a vast difference in the color and 

 shape of the pickerel taken in the St. Lawrence from 

 those of Indian River, the latter being much darker in 

 color and more stocky and also more gamy. 



I once took a pickerel in the St. Lawrence that weighed 

 lllbs.; it came in like a stick in comparison with a 51bs. 

 pikerel taken in Indian River. J. L. Davison. 



Lockport, N. Y. 



[The pickerel to which our correspondent refers is not 

 the pickerel of "Special's" communications, but the fish 

 known in Massachusetts, and most other States, as the 

 pike. This is a larger and better fish, and is found over a 

 vastly greater range than the pickerel. In last week's 

 Forest and Stream, page 270, you will find reference to 

 a specimen which weighed 42£lbs. On May 14, 1891, we 

 illustrated the heads of muscalonge, pike and pickerel in 

 such a way as to- show plainly the difference between 

 them; by reference to that number you will readily see 

 how "Special's" pickerel differs from yours, which is 

 actually the pike, figure 3 of the article mentioned. The 

 pickerel has the cheeks and gill- covers (opercles) fully 

 scaled; the pike has the lower half of the gill-covers 

 naked.] 



Leather Carp in the Erie Canal.— Lockport, N. Y. 

 —In your last week's issue Mr. Eben P. Dorr, of Buffalo, 

 noted the capture of a "carp sucker" in the Niagara River 

 which you say "is evidently a leather carp." About two 

 years ago a party brought to me for identification a fish 

 he had taken in "the basin" below the five pairs of locks 

 in this city. None of the local anglers could name it. 

 This fish was taken on a hook, was lOin. long and weighed 

 about three-quarters of a pound, and proved to be a 

 leather carp. It probably came from Niagara River and 

 passed through the locks. — J. L. Davison. 



