FOREST AND STREAM. 
189 
The Adirondack Forests* 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Were it not, that the article written by me, favoring 
the introduction of "scientific forestry" into the Adiron- 
dacks, to judge from various communications which have 
reached me, had produced a misunderstanding and mis- 
conception in the minds of a few, I probably would have 
considered the argument closed. But, since the latter is 
the case, I ask Forest and Stream in justice to the good 
cause to give me a little more space for a few words 01 
enlightenment upon the subject .■ 
I wish to have it distinctly understood that nothing but 
honest conviction, that the time has come to do some- 
thin°- to improve the forest conditions existing in the 
Adirondacks, has induced me to come to the defense ot 
"scientific forestry" and its introduction there, lo be 
short in expressing what should not be done and what 
ought to be done to better these conditions, permit me to 
sum up as follows : . ... 
I. Lumbermen should never be permitted upon a public 
Pr 2? e The leasing of any part thereof should be pro- 
hibited for all times to come. 
These are matters which should never be permitted. 
Following is what ought to be done : 
The superintendence of the preserve ought by common 
sense be in the hands of a trained and politically inde- 
pendent "forester," but not a layman. We. in our busi- 
ness enterprises, demand from every superintendent or 
foreman, that he must be trained in the work whose execu- 
tion he is to oversee. 
Why on earth should we not demand that the very same 
business principle be applied to the administration of our 
public preserve? Well, we all know the why not too 
well, you, dear reader, as well as myself. _ 
One thing is sure, and that is this, neither Governor 
Odell's nor Colonel Fox's recommendations to admit the 
lumbermen into the preserve have sprung from their 
"over love" for the people, neither has the ill-gotten ad- 
vise to which they have lent an entirely too willing ear 
come from the citizens of the Empire State. It was bred 
outside the State by the very man who has declared over 
and over again, that German forestry methods were not 
adapted for our country, but who all of a sudden feels 
called upon to prescribe a "rotation" of 70-80 years, the 
cutting of all spruces of 14 inches and even down to 10 
inches in the management of the preserve for the benefit 
of the people. , , , . 
Our State officials will have a hard time to defend their 
own recommendations ; they will have to go to Washing- 
ton I am afraid, for further enlightenment, although 
there is enough talent right here in our own State which 
may be had for the asking. Think of the spectacle.^ lhe 
management of the Empire State's forest preserve in > the 
hands of a Federal employe. These recommendations 
are the result of having a layman at the wheel to guide 
the ship, and' the captain down below to fire the engines. 
This is a most important matter, and the very first 
one which ought to have due- consideration at the hands 
of those who honestly stand for the best interest of the 
people's property. , •• „► v- 
The second one is the introduction of scientific forestry 
into their property by increasing the safeguard they have 
put around it. This means better protection against losses 
of timber by fire, insects and fungi. Furthermore, dead, 
dying and diseased trees ought to be removed by the 
State for the benefit of other trees, because the former 
are breeding places of such forest-destroying insects and 
fU The "selection system," as embodied and understood by 
the science of forestry, ought not to be bodily introduced 
as it is practiced in Germany, where the forests for al- 
most two centuries have been under scientific management. 
There, the soil having become impoverished by too 
heavy demands made upon it, the rotation has gradually 
shrunk from 120 to 60 years, at the latter age of which 
the spruce has been found to be at its prime as far as the 
financial rotation is concerned, the owner's pocketbook, 
but not in regard to the trees. t , , . , 
The selection system ought to be introduced into the 
preserve only in regard to the removal of such trees which 
show disease or give signs of an early death, 18 inches on 
an average to prevent their entire lqss. Actual lumbering 
operations though should never be permitted. 
This is perfectly feasible, and if carried out by the State 
would turn .thousands of dollars into the treasury from 
the sale of the material, which at present is an entire loss. 
See Bulletin 30, Department Agriculture, yearly loss $23,- 
6 °Natural and artificial regeneration combined, as well as 
the reforestation of denuded lands, are other important 
items. 
All these together are matters which I have referred to 
above "ought to be done" by the State for the owners of 
the Adirondack preserve— the people. This is the kind of 
scientific forestry the citizens want, and no other. 
Mr. John' R. Spears, in your last issue, rightly quotes 
Bulletin 30, Department of Agriculture, in which it says 
that spruces of 10 inches in diameter increase 0.126 inch 
in size per year, and those of 18 inches 0.1725 of an inch 
per year. In the face of this, he says the Commission "call 
a 14-inch tree mature." Does he know who this Com- 
mission is? Who is behind it? 
Although Bulletin 30 bears a well-soundmg title, viz., 
"Working Plan," a "plan" by which any layman may go 
to work the Adirondack forests, it .is nothing more than 
a statistical gathering of such confusion and so full of 
misleading statements that I am afraid the man must yet 
be born who could "work" by it. 
To obtain these scientific statistics, our Legislature ap- 
propriated $5,000, which amount is brought back to us 
with interest in the recommendations to introduce a 70-80 
year rotation for the preserve, to cut every spruce that 
has grown to a diameter of 10 inches, which means the 
same. What a poor showing and proposition for a "virgin 
forest!" 
Indeed, we can do better; a one-hundred-year rotation 
would not even do when, in fact, we do not require any 
"'financial rotation" whatever, only a "physical one," as 
our citizens wiU never give their consent to a clear cut 
policy on their property. 
Before closing, I wish to say one word regarding the 
term "mature," as used in reference to trees. In a gen- 
eral sense, trees are called "mature" when they have 
reached the power to produce germinable seeds, which, 
with spruces, falls between the fiftieth and sixtieth year- 
rater later than earlier. As it has been used in the recom- 
mendations by Governor Odell and Colonel Fox, though, 
the word "mature" is used in reference to the "wood,' 
meaning With other words, that the wood of a spruce 
with a diameter of 10 inches is at its prime, and that 
thereafter it loses its quality. It does not take a very 
scientific man to discover what absurd and poor advice 
they must have had to recommend the cutting of spruces 
10 or 14 inches in diameter, or, with other words, when 
the latter just have reached the age to reproduce them- 
selves by germinable seed; and telling us at the same time 
that the wood also must be in its prime. I need not go 
into any lengthy discussion about this "maturity." Every 
layman knows from school that maturity for reproduction 
and quality of wood do not go hand in hand. 
Some species of trees reach the point of maturity — 
to reproduce themselves by fertile seeds — already with 
the twenty-fifth,, thirtieth and fortieth year, dependent 
upon local conditions, whereas their wood is not consid- 
ered in its prime until decades later. Why, then, should 
a spruce of 10, 12 or 14 inches in diameter be removed 
when its power of reproduction is at its height? When, 
in fact, "seed years" don't occur every 5-8 years at 
intervals? 
Were it not better to remove them when this power 
is on its wane, when the tree is 100 to 120 years old, of a 
diameter of 18 inches and over? And only then ousrht 
they be removed, when their natural death, representing 
a total loss, may safely be predicted by a practiced eye. 
In closing, let me appeal to every lover of our preserve 
lo "stand by the forests." Let us have scientific forestry 
bv increasing the safeguard put around them in the right 
direction bv the people and for the peonle. 
F. von Hoffmann, Forest Engineer. 
^*Thinks"*Game Should Not fee Eaten. 
Toronto, Ont.— Editor Forest and Stream: I belong to 
that very large and constantly growing class who love to 
go down to the water front and see thousands of wild 
duck, geese and swans disporting themselves in the water. 
I love to go out in the woods and hear the partridge 
whirl ; the thump, thump of the white hare: hear the twigs 
crackle under the feet of the harmless, much-abused 
black bear ; the twitter of the coon uo the creek : see the 
-wift flight of Bob White, and hear his delightful grass- 
hoooer-eating music; see the graceful movements of the 
black and grav squirrels. Therefore, I a*k you to help 
me say a word for the bird and animal life of America, 
(i) because thev are weak; (2) because they are Beau- 
tiful; (3) because they are useful^ (4) because their 
presence is a source of very great joy and comfort to 
man ; (5) because their absence makes the world feel de- 
serted; (6) because they are common propertv. and the 
man with the eun has absolutely no right to murder them: 
(7) because fruit and nuts are the natural food of man, 
and all game is very inferior food. Let the good old days, 
in fact, better davs. come back when the swarms of 
geese, w?dgeon. teal and ducks will flv from Florida to 
Alaska. Let the song birds be again allowed their natural 
occupation of inject eating instead of adorning some 
woman's hat. For these thines I pray; therefore. I 
would a^k that a law be enacted in every State and Prov- 
ince making it a punishable offense to ca^ry a gun at any 
season. G. H. Corsan. 
If iThe^Eider D«ck cn the Great Lakes. 
Green Bay, Wis., Feb. 24.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
I would like to know if any eider ducks have been seen 
on Lake Michigan during this last season. 
During the past week there have been on this bay a 
flock of ducks of very large size, white and black 
feathered, with black above the eyes and bill, and from 
Mr. Grinnell's book the description of the king eider 
comes near to what these birds on this bay are. 
The flock is composed of seven birds, and have been 
seen at a distance of less than forty yards, both flying 
and sitting, and are a duck never seen here before. 
Everything is ice here yet, excepting a few holes in 
the ice, made by fishermen, but the birds go east to Lake . 
Michigan, a distance of about twenty-eight miles, to open 
water, I suppose, at night. The gulls go across to the 
lake every day. 
As this duck is a stranger here, I thought it should be 
reported. The gentleman who saw the birds knows ducks 
of all kinds killed on Lake Michigan or this bay, and 
from the pictures of ducks takes it to be an eider duck. 
Are these birds in the habit of staying this far north in 
the winter? A. G. H. 
[Reports from gunners about the Great Lakes in re- 
sponse to the question asked by our correspondent, will 
be very welcome to him and to all duck shooters. As 
stated in "American Duck Shooting," the king eider has 
been taken on a number of occasions on Lake Erie. Lake 
Michigan and the Illinois River. Of course, it is im- 
possible to tell from any general description what the 
birds seen were, but it should not be difficult to have 
a specimen identified in case one should be taken. We 
are very sure that Mr. Ruthven Deane, of 504 N. State 
street, Chicago, 111., would be glad to examine specimens 
and name them.] 
New Hampshire Deer and Dogs. 
Winchester, N. H., Feb. 27.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: I notice a number of articles in your paper in 
regard to New Hampshire deer. Winchester is located at 
the lower end of the State, joining the Massachusetts 
line. The deer here are getting to be quite plenty; we 
hear of their being seen almost every day. The dogs are 
disturbing them very badly in this section; a large buck 
was run down and killed by three dogs a few days ago. 
A nice doe was run over on the railroad last week and 
killed ; it had been driven out by dogs. 
Not over ten years ago deer were all gone, and we 
never heard of their being seen ; but now they are getting 
quite plenty. A number of yards of them were heard of 
early in the winter, but these have been badly broken up 
by dogs. The dogs are going to drive them all out unless 
something is done to prevent so many dogs running at 
large. Fox hunters must take better care of their hounds 
if we want to keep the handsome deer with as, I am a 
great lover of outdoor sports with the gun, and take 
great interest in protecting our game birds and ani- 
mals. What shall be done, go without the deer and let 
dogs run at large, my brother hunters, or shall we take 
care of our dogs and have both? 
L. R. Nelson. 
Possession of Mounted Fawn. 
A curious and rather interesting trial took place not 
long ago on Long Island, where Game Protector Over- 
ton prosecuted two men at Riverhead before a local jus- 
tice and jury for having in possession part of a spotted 
fawn — a mounted specimen. 
The defendants, John Ginnochio and Chas. Murdock, 
were represented by attorneys Timothy F. Griffing and 
Geo. H. Furman, two of Long Island's shrewdest lawyers. 
An effort was made to induce the jury to believe that the 
animal in question was only a small, or stunted, deer, or 
if a fawn at all had been killed three years or more ago 
in the Adirondacks by some person other than them- 
selves, but by just whom they seemed somewhat uncer- 
tain. 
The taxidermist who mounted the skin sent a man to 
the trial as a witness for the defendant, but he declined 
to swear that the skin was not a fawn. 
Hon. B. Frank Wood, Superintendent of Shell Fish- 
eries, appeared in behalf of the Game and Fish Commis- 
sion, and held that the plaintiff had proved the animal 
to be a fawn— still in the spotted coat— and inasmuch 
as the law says that "no part of a fawn shall be taken or 
possessed," that the defendants were clearly liable. The 
jury held this contention to be the fact, and the justice 
gave judgment for $100 and costs. 
This decision is worth remembering by taxidermists 
and all others, as showing that it is unsafe to possess a 
fawn in any condition. 
Illicit Venison' in* Maine Camps. 
New York, Feb. 28.— Editor Forest and Stream: Al- 
though a very young man, I have spent fourteen vaca- 
tions in Maine and have, during trips varying in length 
of time from one to five months, visited a great many 
hotels and sporting camps. These camps, with few ex- 
ceptions, serve venison on their tables during the sum- 
mer months. Deer carcasses are regularly left in unlocked 
meat houses of the camps, and are seldom troubled by 
passing game wardens. They as a rule visit each camp 
once or twice a year,' and after taking a meal or spending 
the night, pass on to the next place. This is simply done 
in order to send in a decent report. Searches of camps 
are seldom made unless a complaint of illegal killing has 
been made against the camp, which is seldom done. IE 
Mr. Carleton would stop cry'ng for more money and 
more wardens and see that the wardens now employed 
were doing their duty instead of hanging around village 
hotel bars for weeks at a time and charging their ex- 
penses up to the Commission, I think he would save con- 
siderable time, money and game. 
The illegal killing is mostly done by the employes of 
camp proprietors, or guides staying at sporting camps, as 
well as occasionally by the sportsmen, but I see no reason 
why I, as a non-resident, should pay for their misdeed;. 
George M. Pete. 
A Stray Doe. 
Sauquoit, N. Y., Feb. 20.— When we who read Forest 
and Stream think of deer, we usually, and with good 
reason, think that to get sight of one we will have to take 
lonj? drives and long tramps, and sometimes even after 
all that score zero. At least such has been the experi- 
ence of us who live ten miles south of Utica. and fifty 
miles from deer country. The least expected, though, usu- 
ally happens in all things connected with deer. This 
winter when the report first came that a deer had been 
seen within two miles of us, and in a country with not 
much cover, we smiled. Since then so many people have 
seen it, we believe. It is a small doe, and when first 
heard of a man was cn the track with a rifle, but he 
soon quit when informed of the $100 part of it. Since then 
we have heard of her a number of times, usually With a 
dog chasing her. She seems to have chosen a stopping 
place within a radius of three miles from ClayviMe. We 
heard a day or two since she ran through Clayvdle. stop- 
ping at the back door of one of the houses on the principal 
street, a dog having chased her. Then again, .we hear 
that she visits the same farm buildings nearly every day, 
probably to feed. Should every one do as the last named, 
she would live to a ripe old asce, just as we wish, and be 
the mother of the biggest buck extant. 
SaghDaquada. 
The Scooter for Ducks. 
New York, March 1. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
It may be of interest to you to know that at the New 
York Sportsmen's Shew there will be exhibited a s'nk 
box (or battery) and a scooter, the uses of which and 
method of handling will be fully explained and demon- 
strated by experienced guides who have handled traps 
for vears. . 
The sink box is used for duck shooting, where bodies 
of water are too wide for point work, and it is a feature 
of Long Island. 
The scooter is used in the ice in the same manner as 
a punty or sneak box on the point, being thatched with 
snow or ice. and also as a pleasure yacht, being equal 
to the ice boat in speed and unsurpassed for safety, as it 
sails as well' through water as it glides over the frozen 
surface. H. K. Frank. 
Electro-Magnetic Cannon in Sweeter).' 
Under date of Christiania, Jan. 25. 1902, Consul-General 
Bordewich reports: Prof. Birkeland (who two years ago 
was sent by the Government to northern Norway to study 
magnetism, the aurora borealis and cloud formations) is 
engaged in the constructicn of a cannon with electro- 
magnetism as the motive power in place of explosives, _ A 
small model of the invention throws projectiles weighing 
a pound with great force. _ 
