[JAN. 13, 1906. 

FOREST AND STREAM. 

QUAIL SHOOTING AT PINEHURST, N. C. 
Photo by courtesy of Leonard Tufts. 
New York Game, Fish and Forests. 
From the annual report of Commissioner James 
S. Whipple we take these paragraphs: 
In 1904 there were all kinds of fish hatched, 
reared and distributed—in round numbers, III,- 
000,000. In 1905 there have been hatched, 
reared and distributed from the State hatcheries, 
171,000,000 fish of all kinds. A large proportion 
of this increase over 1904 were game fish, es- 
pecially trout. The fines and penalties collected 
in the calendar year of 1904 were $23,636.86. The 
fines and penalties collected in the calendar year, 
1905, were $58,548.08, which shows an increase 
of fines and penalties over 1904 of $34,911.22. 
The number of trespassers on State lands 
reported in 1904. were few; this year, 1905, there 
have been discovered and reported, 85 trespasses 
committed, not including about half dozen small 
ones, stich as the cutting of fire wood. Of these, 
23 have been disposed of by compelling the pay- 
ment of at least three times the value of the 
timber destroyed. The balance of the 85 are 
under process of settlement at the same or 
larger figures, or actions have been commenced 
and are now pending. The trespasses commit- 
ted from May 20, 1905, to Dec. 31, 1905, com- 
pare with those previously committed in a like 
period of time as one to ten. 
Without discussing the policy of the Com- 
mission in relation to trespassing on State lands 
prior to my incumbency, suffice it to say that 
the present policy is to hold all persons strictly 
accountable under a strict construction of the 
constitutional provision in relation to the Forest 
Preserve. That is, that the constitution means 
what it says, to wit: “The lands of the State, 
now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting 
the Forest Preserve as now fixed by law, shall 
be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall 
not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken 
by any corporation, public or private, nor shall 
the timber thereon be _ sold, removed or 
destroyed.” Stating it in another way, the 
State cannot through this department, or other- 
wise, scell or dispose of land or timber of any 
kind in the Forest Preserve as now fixed by 
law. The provision of the constitution apphes 
as well to down or burned timber as to green 
or standing timber. Because of this understand- 
ing of the meaning of the constitution, plainly 
expressed through the policy of this department 
during the year just closed, it can be truth- 
fully said that at this writing there is no tres- 
pass being committed in the Forest Preserve, 
and very little likelihood of any hereafter. 
The increase of fines and penalties, the much 
larger number of fish distributed, and the de- 
crease in trespasses on State lands—all indicate 
an increased activity and closer attention to the 
work of the departments and the enforcement 
of the law. This condition and these results 
are very gratifying to the Commission, and I 
trust will be equally gratifying to the Honor- 
able, the Legislature and the People of the 
State. 
During the last calendar year 796 actions, 
civil and criminal, have been commenced. There 
are now 64 cases pending in the hands of the 
Attorney-General, and 166 in the hands of other 
attorneys. The Commission has been success- 
ful in 536 cases; there were 19 acquittals, juries 
disagreed in four cases, and four actions were 
discontinued. Five hundred and sixty-six cases 
were disposed of, in 186 of which attorneys 
were engaged. The balance, 380, were disposed 
of without attorneys by the Commission direct. 
State Forests. 
In the annual report to me of Col. William F. 
Fox, Superintendent of State Forests, which 
forms part of this report, will be found a com- 
plete, succinct and interesting history of the 
forest lands owned by the State, their manage- 
ment, origin of title, the acreage, the work of 
reforesting, and other important facts and 
figures. While the propagation and protection 
of fish and game is important and worth much 
more to the State than it costs, it is of small 
significance when compared with the value and 
importance of the State forests. No one doubts 
the fact that forest timber, shade and fruit trees 
are absolutely necessary to the proper enjoy- 
ment of this life; that our water supply, to a 
large extent, depends upon the preservation and 
reproduction of our forests; and that the latter 
prevent drought as well as excessive floods. 
The commercial value of our forest lands is 
enormous; their usefulness as a health resort is 
indispensable. .For these, and many other rea- 
sons, the money that is being used for the pro- 
tection of the forests is well expanded, and the 
work that is being done is not too great. 
We have State lands in the Adirondack coun- 
ties with an area of 1,347,280 acres; within the 
Catskill counties, about 92,708 acres; a total 
State ownership of about 1,439,988 acres. Dur- 
ing my incumbency in office the Land Purchas- 
ing Board has been adding to the park lands in 
the Adirondacks and Catskills, by purchasing 
at a low price per acre, such lands as it seemed 
advisable to buy, considering the terms and lo- 
cation, and, also, the comparatively small 
amount of money set aside for that purpose. 
I suggest that a large appropriation for this 
purpose be made and that land within the parks 
be purchased as fast as it can be obtained at a 
fair price. Our State Tree-Nurseries and the 
reforesting done under the supervision of the 
State Foresters has, and is, attracting wide- 
spread attention among persons interested in 
the work throughout the United States. Many 
visits have been made to this State during the 
past year to observe the work of the department ° 
in its reforesting operations. 
Whether wise or unwise, the constitution pro- 
hibits the leasing of cottage sites, or any other 
land in the Forest Preserve. In adopting it 
the people evidently wanted that provision of 
the constitution as it is. But, as a practical 
matter, if this Commission, under proper re- 
strictions and regulations, had the right to lease 
small cottage sites, two important things could 
Be pee oe without any injury to the park 
ands. 
First—A very large revenue could be ob- 
tained, somewhere from two to three hundred 
thousand dollars annually. : 
Second—Every person building a cottage or 
a camp, however small, would have a property 
interest to protect from fire and would become 
a protector of the forest. Further than that, a 
public park now only accessible to compara- 
tively a few people, would become accessible to 
the masses. 
It cannot be said that a business concern as 
large as the Forest, Fish and Game Commission 
of the State of New York, and the law govern- 
ing the same, can be brought up to a state of 
perfection in a few months, a year, or much 
longer time. The work from the first estab- 
lishment of this Commission, together with the 
law governing the same, has been in a state of 
evolution until fairly good conditions have now 
been reached. There are many things, however, 
yet to be accomplished in both. In my judg- 
ment the law should be amended and strength- 
ened in many respects. 
alae moiety system to protectors should be 
discontinued and their salaries increased, based 
upon the average of the moieties each now re- 
ceives. The assistant chief protectors should be 
made first, second, and third assistants, with a 
slight difference in salary in favor of the first 
assistant. : 
The law preventing the pollution of streams 
should be strengthened; also that in relation to 
prohibiting dogs in the park lands. 
Uniform game laws between the States and 
Canadian provinces for the protection of fish 
and game should be enacted, and a legal depart- 
ment for this Commission established by law. 
The force of protectors should be increased, 
and the right of the State to close inland waters 
not navigable, should be clearly defined, oe 
The suggestion of shortening the open season 
for deer by cutting off the last fifteen days 1s 
also worthy of serious consideration. 
JAmeEs S. Wuippte, 
Commissioner, 

Coronado Country Club. 
, THE Coronado Country Club, of Coronado, 
Cal., issues an attractive programme of events 
for the year 1906. This is a regularly incorpo- 
rated club, managed by five directors and with 
the various branches of sport which it encour- 
ages handled by sub-committees. It possesses 
a racestrack, polo field, golf grounds and tennis 
court, the use of which is, of course, restricted 
to the club members. There is a fine club house, 
and great comfort is to be had there. 
There will be a regular programme of cham- 
pionship tournaments to take place, beginning 
in January and running through February and 
March. The golf tournament will come early 
in February, the tennis tournament later in the 
same month, polo tournaments and racing will 
occupy March and a clay pigeon tournament 
will take place early in April. 
