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OCTOBER, 1915 
EDITORIAL 
VOL. XXV No. 8 
Progressive Conservation Measures in New York 
The Constitutional Convention of the State of New York 
passed a conservation amendment September 2 that is of far- 
reaching importance to all who believe in progressive measures of 
forestry and the preservation of natural scenery and natural 
resources. The amendment, which will be submitted to the voters 
of the state on election day for final adoption, reaffirms the policy 
expressed by the Constitutional Convention of 1894. that “it is 
necessary for the health, safety and general advantage of the peo- 
ple of the state that the forest lands now| owned by the state 
should be preserved intact as forest preserves.” In addition, the 
new article provides for the development of all the natural re- 
sources of the state, and makes especial provision for the exten- 
sion of the state’s holding? in the Adirondack and Catskill parks 
and for the reforestation of the state’s present holdings. The 
new department of conservation will be headed by nine com- 
missioners, chosen one from each judicial district, who are to 
serve without salary. No person shall be eligible to serve as com- 
missioner who is engaged in the lumber business in any forest 
preserve county or who is engaged in any industry that uses or 
is connected with hydraulic power. The primary object of the 
Conservation Committee was to take conservation out of politics. 
This is accomplished bv creating the nine-headed commission, 
securing continuity of policy and creating a department which 
will survive all changes in administration, where each governor 
can appoint two commissioners and no more. Thus permanency 
of personnel, state-wide representation and continuity of policy, 
so essential in the development of natural resources, are assured. 
The new article endows the department it creates with broad 
powers. It is only by creating a deliberate body of nine men, 
chosen one from each judicial district of the state, that such 
powers can safely be granted. By specifying an unsalaried com- 
mission, professional office seekers are eliminated, and the serv- 
ices of men really interested in conservation — men whom no 
salary would attract — will be secured to the service of the state 
by the opportunity for public service it offers. The new depart- 
ment of conservation, as provided for in the amendment recently 
passed by the Constitutional Convention, is charged with the de- 
velopment and protection of all the natural resources of the 
state, the exclusive care, maintenance and administration of the 
forest preserve, and the protection and propagation of its fish and 
game. 
By creating a constitutional department beyond the reach of 
changing administrations, a clear-cut plan for the proper use of 
the state’s resources may be developed. In no other branch of 
the state’s activity is the time element so important. Reforesta- 
tion, for instance, must be planned for three years ahead. By 
providing a permanent board that can plan several years ahead, 
continued progress is guaranteed. 
Suggesting a Domestic Animal Zoo 
The following editorial that appeared in a recent issue of 
Collier’s Weekly under the heading “A Real Live Idea” is cal- 
culated to stimulate thought among park superintendents who ap- 
preciate the advancing possibilities of practical service in the 
parks : 
“A good Missourian, named John H. Curran, has had a letter 
printed in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that deserves the attention 
of every city in our broad land. Mr. Curran refuses to be 
bluffed by the smelly part of the park which is ordinarily called 
the zoo, and wants a new deal, a ‘Missouri Domestic Animal 
Zoo.’ To him the sight of a mule colt is more interesting than 
an anteater or Gila monster, and a Berkshire weesqueal is more 
exciting than a grizzly. His argument is worth quoting: 
“ ‘Instead of camels and buffalos, let us have a few Holstein, 
Jersey and shorthorn cows and calves. Thousands of St. Louis 
people haven’t seen a cow for years, and other thousands would 
not know a Hereford from a Red Polled animal. Let us have 
some chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese instead of cranes, storks 
and pelicans. Let the children learn about Rhode Island Reds, 
Black Minorcas, Buff Plymouth Rocks. A concrete example of 
the profit and pleasure of poultry raising would be worth much 
to any child of the city.’ 
“There’s a lot in that idea. We talk ‘back to the farm,’ but do 
almost nothing to bring the farm vividly before city people. 
Country life is apt to be lonesome, and the town-bred youth is 
at great disadvantage because of his awkward ignorance of ani- 
mals. It would be a great thing if every large city would replace 
its outfit of decaying curios with a first-class permanent exhibit 
of farm critters.” 
Editorial Notes 
As a result of extensive tests during 1912, 1913 and 1914 with 
different insecticides, the entomologists of the United States De- 
partment of Agriculture have found that calcium arsenate, a new 
insecticide, gives very promising results in the control of certain 
insects that do damage by chewing on trees. Among the chewing 
insects against which the arsenate of calcium proved effective, in 
laboratory and field tests conducted at Benton Harbor, Mich., are 
the codling moth, the fall webworm, the tent caterpillar and the 
tussock moth. The details of the various experiments are pub- 
lished in Department Bulletin No. 278, “Miscellaneous Insecticide 
Investigations.” 
That the people of New York are thoroughly interested in 
forestry and other phases of conservation is evidenced by the 
widespread interest in the state-owned forest lands of the Adi- 
rondacks and Catskills and the idle forest lands in the other parts 
of this state. This interest has been especially in evidence as a 
result of the excellent work which the Conservation Committee 
of the Constitutional Convention at Albany has been doing during 
the past few months. Several important county fairs have shown 
interest in an exhibit along forestry lines made by the State Col- 
lege of Forestry. 
Of the 688,922,000 board feet of timber cut on the national for- 
ests during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1915, according to 
statistics just compiled by the United States Forest Service, 
123,168,000 feet was taken under free-use permits given to settlers 
and others living in or near national forests. There were 40,000 
free-use permittees, and the value of the timber they cut was 
$206,464.13. The remainder, or 565, 754, (XX) board feet, was cut 
under sales contracts, for the most part with lumber operators, 
but including 18,246,000 feet sold at cost to farmers and settlers. 
