to carry out necessary provisions for that purpose has kept marauders in check and induced the better class of the natives to exercise some discretion in cutting timber for their own use. Where hard wood is required the spruce and hemlock is allowed to remain and protect the soil from drying out and preventing new growth of timber, and where the soft wood is cut only large trees are taken, the small ones being left to prevent the occupation of the ground by the poplar, which seems to take possession of the soil wherever denuded by lumbering or fire. This discretion is mainly the result of experience, but may be converted into judicious management if properly encouraged by the Commission (by means of disseminating forestry literature, etc.) and made to form a valuable auxiliary in their work. Forest fires seem this year to have been infrequent, and in this township have been very insignificant and occasioned no injury of consequence to the forest. Scars, and patches of partly denuded lands are not infrequent, especially in the northern part of the township, but none of them are of very recent date and in most cases the ground has had ample time to recover from the effects of the scorching to which it has been subjected and is now quite densely covered with a second growth of hardwood. Where the fires have been most complete in their ravages the poplar has sprouted in the first place, followed by maple and birch and lastly by the spruce, but the latter seldom gains repossession of the soil when dispossessed by fire, probably owing to lack of moisture and thinness of the soil. This condition prevails along low lands near the water, except where moisture can be drawn from the lake through the roots, and there the cedar gains over all other trees. Farther inland the maple and beech take precedence until the steeper slopes of the high hills in the background are reached, when the pine and hemlock once more assert their supremacy. From the above it will be seen that the amount of timber on these lands must vary greatly as it does, in character and size, but where the soft woods have not been much disturbed the ground is still densely covered and much of the timber is of great size. Observation in many different directions seem to show the number of trees to the acre to vary from 150 to 300, such as would cut into merchantable logs of not less than eight inches in diameter The whole shore of East inlet and Marion river was heavily wooded with pine timber, mostly hemlock, spiuce and pine, which would cut, probably, four cords to a tree or 1,000 cords to the acre, as much as seven cords having been cut from a single tree in this tract. This valuable timber has been largely cut off by individuals for the use of the hotels and steamboat company at Blue Mountain lake. South Bay is also surrounded by considerable large timber on all sides until the west end of the bay is reached; here low, swampy ground covered with tamarack prevails. On the west shore of the lake bold rocky banks covered with cedar, birch and maple are interspersed with spruce and hemlock until Constable Point is reached, where whole acres have been denuded, and are now but partly covered with second growth hard wood. Most of this, however, is private property. Farther inland heavy timber is found, which prevails until Baxter, Bay is reached on the north, with occasional patches of tamarack along Beaver and Tucker brooks and some hardwood along the shore. The lower hills on all sides show a large amount of hardwood on their slopes with pine, spruce and hemlock crowning their heights. West and Bald Mountains and the high range of hills on the east side of North Bay are partly denuded by fire, wind, the wash of the rains and melted snows, leaving only bare rocks devoid of soil or moisture. On the east shore is also much good timber, averaging 200 to 250 trees to the acre. The streams have been gradually filling up with soil washed out of the woods by spring freshets, and this soil, converted into rich muck, is becoming covered with alders and cranberries, while much of the timber ruined by the floods has been allowed to remain where it has fallen, to the great loss of beauty and the imvediment of navigation. The only extensive clearings on this lake are on Kenwill's, Wood and Indian Points. But one of these is now cultivated; those on Wood and Indian Points having been abandoned. There are no clearings on State land, except very small patches around a few permanent camps and dwellings. The principal of these are at Hathorn's, Whitney's, McBrower's and Dunning's on South Bay; Durand's on Osprev Island and Hasbrouck's in North Bay. There are fourteen islands in Raquette Lake; in North Bay one (claimed by E. Hasbrouck, N. Y.); in Great Bay two, not occupied or claimed as far as known; off Bluff Point one, claimed by F. H. Stott, Stottville, N. Y.; off Indian Point one, not occupied; in East Inlet Bay, Osprey Island, and one other claimed and occupied by C. W. Durant, New York city; St. Hubert's Island claimed and occupied by the Episcopal church; two slands not occupied or claimed as far as known; Wood and Big Island occupied by Doctor Gerster, of New York city; High or Pine Island claimed by John R. Strong, New York city; and two islands in South Bay not occupied. These islands are all in good condition, not heavily timbered, with the exception of Wood and High Islands, and those claimed as above have camps upon them ranging in value from $500 to $3,000. Of shore camps there are in South Bay four-Hathorn, McBrower's, Whitney's and Dunning's; East Inlet Bay, one (name not known); East Bay, three (guides' camps) one owned and occupied by Mrs. McCarthy, of Syracuse; Beaver Bay, one, owned by Alonzo Mix, guide; one now building, claimed by Joseph Bryere, Raquette Lake; two on Indian Point (guides); two in Great Bay, owned by Charles Blanchard, Blue Mountain Lake; one in North Bay, owned by F. Hasbrouck, New York city, who also claims Beach's Island in the same bay (State land, though marked on the maps as private). In addition to these are three hotels, Kenwill's, Bennett's and Hathorn's, the last one of the three occupying State land. This being the largest, and in many respects the most beautiful of the lakes, is rapidly being occupied by parties who wish to establish permanent camps, and whose presence is rather a safeguard than otherwise, bringing the owner as it does a sense of personal interest in the protection of his own and neighboring lands. On the other hand casual and intermittent, or perhaps better, professional campers, require attention. Most of the pleasure camping is now (October) over, but there will be some sportsmen in camp for a month yet; the most dangerous class, however, is the gum pickers, who are now flocking into the woods, and who wander from place to place leaving smouldering fires wherever they sleep. As for those parts of the township lying about this lake, no better protection can be guaranteed than that of the owners or 146 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE FOREST COMMISSIONERS. occupants of permanent camps, provided that they are secured in their holdings and made to understand that protection is a condition of permanency. In this connection, I would respectfully urge the granting of leases to parties who have made investments of this kind, and to all who will erect permanent camps of sufficient value to insure co-operation with the Commission in the enforcement of the law. Such persons will thus be enlisted in the service of the State, and can and will do much to prevent spoliation and retain these woods in more than their present beauty, as well as usefulness in the preservation of the waters which form so inv 'uable a treasure in the lap of the Empire State. CHARLES B. TILLINGHAST. |