Jan. 2$, iy6i«.j 
FOREST AMD STREAM. 
nstant of waiting to begin nly speech; Much the same 
»s at the other house. Conscious of my personal defects 
is to clothing and anxious for the future, I plead in my 
jest style I am sure. She heard me through standing in 
he wide-open door, and with a kindly smile said, "Well, 
ve aren't in the habit of keepin' strangers, but you can 
tay if he's willin'." Oh! jay, and I said, "Where is 
he' ?" "Dawn in the barn," So down to the barn I 
fo, and find a pleasant, thrifty man of energy. I tell my 
tory again and wait my fate. "Well, you can stay if 
he's willin'." Hurrah! chum, bring the horse; we can 
tay. All my visions were realized — nice supper, pleasant 
lhat, clean, fresh bed quilt, chromos and potos, all there as 
Ixpected. When we shook hands at parting and left two 
risp new one-dollar bills on the kitchen table, all were 
appy. I hope the hatchet-faced woman up the road 
eard how the pleasant one got the new calico dress. 
Uncle Josh. 
The Adirondack Forests. 
ditor Forest and Stream: 
j In that portion of Governor Odell's recent message to 
lie Legislature relating to the Adirondack forest pre- 
fcrve, as published in last week's Forest and StreaMj 
le expresses the belief that if all property now owned 
jy individuals and corporations were purchased by the 
Itate, "the result would be the destruction of the lumber 
lid wood pulp industries." Now that is one way of 
loking at the matter, of course, but there are many good 
ftizens in this great commonwealth who are anxious to 
lave the northern woodlands kept in as nearly a natural 
fcndition as possible, or, in other words, they are more 
Iterested in the preservation of the forests than in the 
fotection of the lumber and pulp wood industries. These 
f iends of the forest are not only anxious that the State 
liould retain intact all the wilderness lands which it now 
llssesses, but should acquire title to additional holdings 
| the Adirondacks with the end in view that the entire 
Igion may eventually be owned by the State. 
I Reference is made in the message to an act passed 
line nine years ago, which provided that agreements 
light be entered into between the State and owners of 
Inds in the Adirondacks, limiting the kind and size of 
rnber to be cut, in return for which exemption from the 
late and county taxes was given. The restriction was 
fat nothing but soft wood above 12 inches in diameter 
lould be cut The Governor is convinced that "if the 
mr were amended to prohibit the operation of acid fac- 
Iries and the cutting of timber below 10 inches in diam- 
|er, in return for the assumption by the State of all 
ixes, th§t the ultimate object aimed at in the preserva- • 
•n of the forests could be accomplished without any 
feat expense." 
J But what is "the ultimate object aimed at in the 
Reservation of the forests" ? Is it the enrichment of those 
§10 are interested in the lumber and pulp wood indus- 
Jies? Is it to lift the burden of taxation from the 
jealthy land owners and place it upon the shoulders of 
te other taxpayers? Is it to accomplish the ruin of 
lat small portion of the primitive woodland which now 
Imams by the removal of the majestic pines, spruces and 
Imlocks which now grace it? It is safe to assert that 
lany one of these questions were submitted to the masses 
I the people the reply would be an unmistakable and un- 
nditional "No J" 
The opinion is expressed by the Governor that the 
irk in the Adirondacks should be pursued scientifically. 
:ature lumber, he says, should be cut and denuded land, 
far as possible, replanted. By the leasing of small camp 
:es, a revenue and protection would result. The Gov- 
nor recommends to the Legislature "that the present 
w be amended so as to permit an agreement with owners 
restrict the cutting of timber down to 10 inches in 
imeter instead of 12, and that acid factories be pro- 
fited ; and that a constitutional amendment receive 
nction this year, looking toward the scientific forestry 
d leasing of State lands. 
The writer has for many years taken a deep interest in 
lirondack forest protection, and is identified with sev- 
II organizations which are also interested in the sub- 
It, and 'he is confident he voices the sentiments of 
Dusands of true friends of the forest, especially those 
io have a knowledge of the true condition of things in 
Adirondacks, when he expresses the belief that scien- 
c forestry can not be carried on in that region in a man- 
r which will preserve the wilderness as it is desirable to 
ve it preserved, and at the same time yield any con- 
erable profit over and above the great expense that 
efficient system would necessitate./ Further than this 
>re is in existence a constitutional safeguard which the 
iple of the State have thrown over the forest, hoping 
i believing that it would be effective and permanent, 
there sufficient reason or sufficient excuse now to ask 
' its removal ? 
The electors of New York State have been called upon 
more than one occasion to express their wishes on the 
iject of forest protection, and their edict has been that 
wilderness should be preserved in its natural state, 
stion 7, Article 7. of the lew Constitution, adopted in 
14, which says: "The lands of the State, now owned or 
eafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as 
u fixed by law. shall be forever kept as wild forest 
ds. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be 
en by any corporation, public or private, nor shall 
1 timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed," was 
ified at the polls by a majority of about 100,600. 
n the fall of 1896 the following proposed amendment 
Section 7, Article 7, of the Constitution, was submitted 
the people: 
'Section 7. — The lands of the State, now owned or 
eafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as 
v fixed by-law. shall be forever kept wild forest lands 
qept as. authorized by this section, they shall not be 
->ed, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation 
[lie or. .private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, re- 
ved or destroyed. The Legislature may authorize the 
Sing for such term as it may by law fix, of a parcel 
aot more than five acres of land in the forest preserve 
iny one person for camp and cottage purposes. The 
jislature may also authorize the exchange of lands 
iied by the State situate outside the forest preserve for 
is not owned by the State situate within the forest 
serve The Legislature may also authorize the sale 
lands belonging to the State situate outside the forest 
preserve, but the money so obtained shall not be used 
except for the purchase of lands situate within the forest 
preserve, and which, when so purchased, shall become 
part of the forest preserve." 
But public sentiment was found to be overwhelmingly 
opposed to revising or tampering with the constitutional 
safeguard provision, and the electors signified their dis- 
approval of the proposed amendment by burying it under 
an adverse majority of 700,000. 
It may be that the people of New York State are now 
ready to reconsider the position which thev have taken, 
out we do not believe it. They understand the situation 
too well. 
It may be they are anxious to relieve the extensive land 
owners of taxation. But we do not think so. The 
revenue from this source is greater than it would be 
rrorn leasing camp sites. 
It may be that they are willing to sacrifice the pine, 
spruce and hemlock on State lands in order to perpetuate 
the lumber and wood pulp industries. But we doubt it. 
It would be far better to remove the existing duty on 
lumber and obtain our supply from Canada. 
. It may be that they will sanction the cutting of all the 
big trees in the Adirondacks and the necessary incidental 
destruction of hundreds of thousands of smaller ones 
under the guise of scientific forestry. But we hope not. 
bo-called scientific forestry may be all right in Germany, 
but the encouragement of timber cutting is not what is 
wanted in the Adirondacks. There is too much of it 
going on now, and on State lands at that. It is well 
enough to replant denuded lands, of course, but there is 
plenty of such territory without creating any more. 
W. E. Wolcott. 
Utica, N. Y., Jan. 15. 
Rattlesnakes of Florida. 
, In an article by Mr. Perry D. Frazer on rattlers, the 
size of these snakes is referred to. 
. After some years of quail shooting in Florida, mostly 
in .ue boto and Lee counties— which are the most souther- 
y ot the west coast— my largest rattlesnake seen and 
killed was six and one-half feet long, and at the largest 
? ? n j u llt ree inches in diameter. In all, we have 
killed about twenty rattlesnakes. It is evident that this 
snake is not at all desirous of striking a man. On our 
approach they invariably rattle— if they have not lost their 
rattles, which does occur, as my nearest to being struck 
was by one that had lost them. My companion had fired 
the grass and scrub, and to escape the heat and smoke I 
went to the bank of the river. Knowing that these fires 
drive out snakes, I took care in walking through the 
grass but did not think of finding one on the sand un- 
der the bank. 
My dog jumped into the water as I stepped off the 
bank on to the sand. As I stepped off some animal— I 
supposed— made a blowing sound right by my feet I 
looked down, and inside of one and a half feet was a big 
rattlesnake. My jump was a good one. At this time 
my dog made a rush for the snake, but I kicked him 
back into the water, and then brought my gun quickly on 
the snake and fired— but only cut him in two pieces 
Again the dog started for him— the half of the snake 
with the head being as ready for fight as if he was all 
there. I then blew his head off. This pointer dog at 
one time retrieved a quail from a rattlesnake, and started 
back for the snake, but we killed it before the dog got 
there. A ground rattler struck him this winter, but he 
recovered. 
There may be some of your readers who do not know 
how the rattlesnake does his deadly work. The fangs are 
two curved hypodermic needles curved down, the outlet 
not at the point, but a little way back and on top— this 
enables the fang on striking to tear out an opening so the 
poison can enter the wound, and I think that the snake 
can strike a powerful blow and as quick as a flash The 
greatest danger from them is coming on them in very 
t uck scrub. They want to avoid you, but are not in- 
clined to move much when they know you see them If 
not digesting a rabbit or some large bird, they coil quick- 
Jy and keep the head over their body to protect it and 
sing the warning with that rattle. 
The cattlemen of south Florida fire the woods which 
are not forests, but simply pine trees growing in grass 
and scrub palmettos. This undergrowth in winter is dry 
and burns, and m burning it must destroy a good many 
.snakes. Fach year we see fewer; last year none; this 
year so far one rattler. There are a lot of big black 
snakes, some eight to ten feet long, and not much afraid 
ot man, and it s easy to get them in a fighting mood. 
A lew sticks thrown at them and they will start for 
you. *.j 
I have read of imitating a rattlesnake by birds and 
other snakes, but until last week never saw it. Then I did 
—a black snake— maybe a racer— was lying on some pal- 
metto bushes As I passed very close, and stopped to look 
at him he shook his tail against a dry stem and imitated 
very closely the rattler. 
To protect myself against the rattler I have worn 
about every kind of leggings and boots. Anything sure 
to stop the fangs is so killing to wear in this climate that 
one would almost as soon die by the snake. I believe 
however, the best and easiest protection is fine close- 
woven strong cotton duck leggings; if two thicknesses 
quilted, they would be protection against snakes and 
water. 
When I think it best I wear a pair of boots with high 
canvas legs two thicknesses quilted. I can wade in them 
and they are not bad, unless the weather is hot. 
The old Florida hunters are not much afraid of rattlers 
though they ride mostly while I walk— often fifteen miles 
a day. 
Further, as regards size of these fellows, six and a half 
feet is a big snake. I think I saw one in Goldsboro 
N C years ago, m a hotel, that was stuffed and was 
eight feet long— he was a big one. Myakka. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Dr. Hunter, of Fayetteville, N. C, told me yesterday of 
a Texas physician who claims to have had 100 cases of 
tfr Si 5 * e h A te ' " C ^ rIy aI1 , of which he cured b y adminis- 
tering three drops of tr. iodine in water every five minutes 
at nrst and increasing to five drops every five minutes 
the attention must be prompt to be efficacious 
C. H. 
Rattlesnake Root. 
r 0 w H P UNDS ' N - C.-Your correspondent, J. Thomson 
SaL ( l^ ST AN u Jan " ">« writin S of rattle 
snake weed, probably refers to one or the other of two 
plants, one called rattlesnake weed (Hieracium venosum) 
or (Nabalus albus) 1, rattlesnake root, as the plant used as 
re JTX f ° r blte of the rattlesnake. In our forest 
legion where snakes are quite common, so that collections 
ot skins are frequent adornments of one's domestic mu- 
fhTv^V 8 ? 4 n ° bette , r - T emedy for snake bi *s than 
fa?l if 7Jn e 7 ° ne ' T h ^' Which is «ver known to 
oatienVf, aVa ' Whldl ''' °" the whole < before the 
patient is dead. Of course our mountain article is some- 
what stronger than the ordinary variety of this common 
beverage, but wherever I have been from this EaTerS 
locality to the distant plains of the far West, whisky 's 
' curef n T ra i an JL 40te r M * ^J^?" 1 of « ^ imbibed^ S 
M n I s y n th V r0n, L a P r ° fessi °»al standpoint as an 
M. D as well as from that of an observer of our moun- 
tain people, who think nothing of a snake bite 
cniv aT A tW £ plants ' vhich SO by the name 'of rattle- 
snake weed One is the above-mentioned Hieracium 
venosum z plant growing two feet tall from a low bunch 
of spreading leaves, which are marked by purple veinV 
and is common m dry, open woods. The other is Nabai» s 
albus, which is more common in the North. The stem if 
three or four feet tall, with a flower of a deep brown- 
medicine ' ' tL fJZT^ 15 ? Sed ^ h * tfle nat ^« as 
medicine. The spindle-shaped root s intensely bitter 
Sanson ^V! 1 J 00 ^ ° f * as "SSdSSto 
snake poison. I have met with many cases of snake 
one to be fatal. Where no other remedy is available and 
the case is urgent, to enlarge the wound so as to caui a 
copious flow of blood, and to aid this by suction with the 
111 ojrth, is a never-failing treatment. 
if he"wfr,rf fi^ ^ 3 ye&r ift North Carolina 
everv n£ ^Z^ 3 " a 1-round climate which will please 
every one. It is true it rains here sometimes. I have 
known over thirty-one inches to fall in a July, and ove? 
a hundred and ten inches in the year. But genera^ 
SX 1 b^v Ple °. p P°n tUnity f ° r enj ' 0 ^ ^ herein S e 
of the heavy rainfall, even in this month. On my ffve- 
filled wTh a WhlCh V\ rather thickIy wooded for ^ I™, and 
a Z»U a complete assortment of the native flora, arge 
She houH'.Z^ had th t. e Pretf ? Bob Whites abound 
for them ^Ll?^ 0T \ tbe t™ 11 stuff we leave about 
Hi 3" i S i eV ,-Y day; the exceptions having been 
IX* and wh . en the h sht snows have fallen: and we are 
£SnM ?et Sea ^ eveI - A hunter should be abovl 
grumbling at the weather, when rubber clothing and high 
boots are to be had. Sunshiny days must be the ex- 
hav n"' Vr U tw f L Sh, ' ng l , here W ° U " d be freely 'worth the 
having. For two weeks past, however, we have had as 
sav flffSS 38 ° ne t C0Uld W [ sh ". 1 am "inch pleased K 
say that our game laws are having a markedly good re- 
sult, especially on our wild turkeys and deer. The last 
seemmg to have increased rapidly since the five years 
close time was enacted by our Legislature. Small game 
is very abundant this year, and would have been S 
more so. but for the constant rains which fell in the 
hatching season. Henry Stewart 
New York Zoological Society. 
n,IliL N !r J°w^ olo - g i ca! Societ y held its sixth annual 
meeting at the Waldort-Astoria Jan. 15. The report of 
the Executive Committee presented to the Society was 
!2? fft'fy" 1 * to the members, for it showed that the 
yeai had been prosperous, and that great progress had 
been made in developing the Society's park. That the 
efforts made to improve matters at the park are appre- 
£8f__fi5 by i the , ,? ttendance duri »g the year of P o P ver 
dav Vw „?r P 6 < thG greateS ,t day having been a Sun- 
pi Jsent n m ° re than 20 ' 000 pe °P le were 
er?cti™Z°/ k dmethis W the most important is the 
erecting and occupying of the recently opened monkev 
house, at a cost of $64,160, and the beginnfng of die S 
house, which is now well under way Beside this the 
sewer and water systems of the park have been extended 
Mr ChI°s SU T% and hlH * ™ de f0r the mountains 
Mr. Chas. T. Barney, the Treasurer, reported that the 
Society is entirely tree from debt, and that having raised 
oirl^fr^/^,^,? 2 ! 0 ' 000 ' and upended if in he 
paik, it had fulfilled all the obligations contained m it, 
agreement with the city. The improvement fond has a 
ctef 0 __^*^ Whkh is to be used *»■ the pur- 
ls f believed that a few months will see the comple- 
tion of the hon house, and when this is done the purXse 
of the great and small cats will at once follow T ie So- 
ciety has made application to the Legislature for an an 
propnation of $500,000 to be used in completing the i_I 
provements of the park. This appropriation, if hid wHl 
provide houses for the antelopes, for the os riches for 
small mammals, for large birds, for the elephants and 
.for other smaller but greatly needed improvements 
, It is gratifying to know that the membership of the So- 
Ciety is steadily increasing. A year or two since if was 
only about 600, while now it is 106? A HtV la, \t 
York and its environs ought to fu'rnfsb Tm mbershifof 
4,000 or 5,000, but the growth of the Society TsW 
The hvmg. specimens now on exhibition in the Zoo 
SS^nW f e r T rted aS r ' 674 ' 0f the ^ 416 are mam-" 
mals, 659 birds and 599 are reptiles. In addition to ?his 
report the director gave some account of the Alaskan 
expedition undertaken by Mr. J. Alden Lor ng Tr for 
the purpose of collecting specimens of Dall's mountain 
sheep. Mr. Lormg was successful in securing a number 
of lambs, but it was imoossible to keep them alive ™ 
food which was accessible. ve on - the 
Mr Kidder, of Boston, who not long ago visited Kirfiai, 
Island for the purpose of hunting belr/there I, spoke S 
