Jan. 20, 1912.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
79 
Conservation Commission Report 
from all connected with the mission and school. 
When recovered sufficiently to resume the 
journey, two Indians and a cariole were placed 
at my disposal, and in weakness I was helped in 
and out of the cariole during the entire trip. 
On the second day Cross Lake was reached 
and I was warmly welcomed by the Indian mis¬ 
sionary, the Rev. Edward Paupanekis and his 
family. After a further Illness of more than 
a week, I was at last able to begin my duties 
as school teacher, establishing my headquarters 
at the home of Paupanekis and starting at once 
to study the language and customs of the country. 
One incident of the trip I shall long remem¬ 
ber. When within eighteen miles of Cross 
Lake, we were overtaken by darkness and de¬ 
sired a resting place for the night. On the 
Whiskey Jack portage Ray Bayer was living 
at the time. With true Northern hospitality I 
was invited to stay over night, the one bed in 
the house being placed at my disposal, while 
the inmates slept on the floor. To my great 
surprise and delight a phonograph was dis¬ 
covered and brought forth. In that far off 
wilderness, surrounded by strangers and in a 
feeble condition physically it seemed like a 
breath from the Southland and home to listen 
to the well-known songs of childhood and the 
familiar compositions of our great band and or¬ 
chestral leaders. No one under different cir¬ 
cumstances can appreciate the thoughts and 
emotions that were brought into life by that 
little program of music, and that left me sleep¬ 
less until the morning light. 
New Publications. 
Caza Mexicana, Carlos M. Lopez and Carlos 
Lopez. Decorated cloth, 8vo., 631 pages, 
illustrated from photographs. Mexico City, 
C. Bouret. 
In the dedication of this splendid volume, and 
the first one of its kind to be produced in Mexico, 
the authors give a hint of the wide variety of 
sport to be had there, among the snow-clad sum¬ 
mits of the Sierra Madre on the high central 
mesas, and along the lowlands of both coasts. 
It is divided into six parts, each one an exhaus¬ 
tive treatise and appropriately illustrated. 
Part I. relates to preparations for hunting, 
where to go, how to equip, firearms and practice 
with them, habits of game, and how to find it. 
Part II. is devoted to firearms, ammunition, 
and data regarding the merits of guns, rifles and 
accessories, care and use. 
Part III. covers hunting dogs; kinds, use, 
training, care and treatment. 
Part IV. describes big game, its habits, range, 
how to hunt it, the seasons, and recipes for cook¬ 
ing game. 
Part V. covers small game, upland and low¬ 
land birds and wildfowl. 
Part VI. is in reference to game protection and 
laws, and includes a valuable map showing the 
kind of game to be found in each State. 
The text is very interesting and the i.lustra¬ 
tions are mainly original. These relate to fam¬ 
ous shooting grounds, sportsmen’s camps and in¬ 
cidents of the hunting. Many of the illustrations 
of game are from life, while those from mounted 
specimens are valuable. 
The volume is a very creditable one, and should 
be in the hands of every sportsman who hunts in 
Mexico or contemplates doing so. 
I N the first annual report of the New York 
Conservation Commission to the Legislature 
the commission says that in the preservation 
and restoration of forests the prevention of fires 
is the fundamental thing, and that the efficiency 
of the fire protection of the forests is shown in 
the fact that although the year 1911 was a year 
of unusual drouth, and with an increased num- 
*DR. SANTMIER IN HUNTING COSTUME. 
The embroidered gloves show the skill of Cree Indian 
Women. 
ber of fires over that of previous years, but one- 
half of one per cent, of the total area of the 
forests under protection suffered fire loss, and 
this although each patrolman covered an area of 
over 100,000 acres. "The State,” remarks the 
commission, ‘‘bears the entire cost of the patrol¬ 
ling of forest lands, although it owns, less than 
one-fourth of the area patrolled. The entire ex¬ 
pense of the patrol system is borne by the State, 
as well as ’ one-half the extra expense of the 
cost of fighting fire. These two items last year 
amounted to $71,067.60, of which the State paid 
directly $47,693.62 for patrolling and for one- 
half of the cost of hiring extra help and fighting 
fires $23,373.98. It would seem only a matter of 
good business and justice to all concerned if the 
cost of patrolling and fire fighting could be based 
on the area of forest lands protected. Is there 
any reason why the State should pay for the 
protection of the forests of private owners? An 
equitable system could be devised whereby each 
private owner and the State would pay a just 
and proportionate amount of the expense of sav¬ 
ing the forests.” 
The commission attributes much of the in¬ 
creased efficiency of forest fire protection to the 
installation during the year of sixteen new moun¬ 
tain observation stations, making thirty-six in 
all, and says that while the number of fire patrol¬ 
men was increased this year from forty-eight to 
sixty-four, the districts in many cases are still 
too large, and adds: 
“It is estimated that in this State to-day five 
trees are cut down to every one planted. At the 
present rate of increase of reforestation and in 
accordance with the commission’s plans, it is ex¬ 
pected to reach the much-to-be-desired result of 
planting at least one tree for every one removed. 
"The method of reforestation recommended 
by Governor Dix has received approval of the 
people in all parts of the State. 
“The use of prisoners in growing nursery stock 
for reforestation will greatly reduce the cost of 
the transplants, since labor is the main item. 
The State should encourage by every means this 
reforestation work and the policy of selling trees 
at cost should be a very large inducement. The 
State should make no profit whatever on trans¬ 
actions of this character. 
“The policy of the State in regard to its land 
in the forest preserve should be to consolidate 
its holdings so that the work of protecting the 
forests and of reforesting the watersheds can 
be most effective and at the least expense. The 
summits of mountains in the parks should be 
acquired so as to afford the greatest protection 
to the watersheds in the conservation of water. 
“The conservation commission regards the 
State Forest Preserve as the people’s great play¬ 
ground and health resort, for the use of all and 
abuse of none.” 
The prevention of chestnut blight and other 
tree diseases suggests to the commission the 
urgent necessity for the services of an expert 
plant pathologist. 
The commission presents facts and figures 
showing that its predecessors in office had prac¬ 
tically contracted for forest lands valued at $21,- 
913.96 more than had been appropriated for that 
purpose, not including the value of the large 
tract of land known as the Taggart-Fisher tract 
of about 40,000 acres appropriated by the forest 
purchasing board. “This commission,” says the 
report, “has completed the purchase of all lands 
where the owners had delivered deeds thereto 
to the State, and the same had been recorded 
and has also investigated the remaining lands 
with a view of ascertaining whether the prices 
agreed to be paid are reasonable and the title 
thereto marketable, and while it appears that in 
some instances the State agreed to pay more than 
the land was reasonably worth, we recommended 
that the balance in the appropriation for the pur¬ 
chase of lands in the Adirondacks be made avail¬ 
able for the payment of lands contracted for in 
{Continued on page 96.) 
