This comparatively small output is due to the fact that the Axton and Wawbeek Nurseries were not re-established until last year (1906), and that the United States Co-operative Nursery is still lying fallow with the exception of the seed beds.

In addition to the stock described above as available for the spring planting in 1907, there is a much larger quantity of one, two, and three-year old plants which will be ready for the field plantations later on.

I take this opportunity to recommend the establishment of a nursery for the propagation of hardwood or deciduous species. As we expect to 'abandon the one at Axton within two years the number of nurseries will not be increased by this proposition. This hardwood nursery should be located in the Catskills, preferably in the valley of the Esopus creek and near some station on the Ulster and Delaware railroad.

The State has now over 100,000 acres in the Catskill Preserve and these areas will be increased largely each year by further purchases. Some of these lands are sparsely covered with forest. growth and can be greatly improved by underplanting with merchantable species, while other portions, consisting in part of abandoned farms or cleared land, should be reforested with nursery stock. We started a nursery in the Catskills four years ago, at a place about two miles from Brown's Station. The site, which was selected without consulting the superintendent, was an unfavorable one, on a hill farm, and the gravelly, stony condition of the soil

made its operation difficult and expensive. It was abandoned with the intention of selecting a better site somewhere on the fertile bottom land of the Esopus valley, but for lack of funds nothing has been attempted yet to carry out this plan.

In asking for appropriations to carry on our nursery work and tree planting we are often confronted with the question, why not let these lands grow up to trees and reforest themselves naturally? In reply we point out that the waste lands in the Adirondacks do not always reforest themselves naturally. The Indian Plains on the south branch of the Moose River are entirely devoid of woody growth, and were so described in the field notes of John Richards. when he surveyed that township ninety years ago. The Mineral Plains, a treeless expanse of several hundred acres near Cranberry Lake, were in that same condition in 1772 according to the field notes of Archibald Campbell, one of the colonial surveyors who located the great Totten & Crossfield Purchase. Near the Red Horse Chain, on the trail to Witchhopple Lake, is a large opening in the forest where the ground is covered only with ferns and has always been so as far back as the oldest guide and hunter in that locality can remember. Surveyor O'Hara, in 1791, described an Indian cornfield of 100 acres or more, in Arthurboro Patent, Hamilton county, and this field is still bare of trees, or even shrubs. The burned lands and sandy plains in West Harrietstown, near Lake Clear Junction, remained for many years in a denuded condition until they were reforested by the State.

Let it be conceded, however, for the sake of the argument, that the waste and barren lands in the Preserve will in time reforest themselves naturally. But in such a case the tree growth will be composed largely of worthless material and unmerchantable species. The wild forest that will take possession of the land is not worth one-tenth the cultivated one that could be established there. The primeval forests of the Adirondacks, at their best, have only yielded about 4,500 feet of soft wood timber on an average, the remainder.

being unmerchantable. But our planted forests when fully grown will cut 40,000 feet of pine per acre. A wild forest, with its haphazzard, undesirable growth, will increase but little, if any, in value, for there is none in it to start with; but a planted forest, every tree a pine or spruce, will increase in value with every rise in the price of lumber. Our people want wood, need wood, and must have it. It is the mission of the forester to grow wood and thus make provision for this ever increasing demand.

FOREST FIRES.

In the year 1906, the period covered by this report, the loss of standing timber by fire in the Adirondack and Catskill forests was comparatively small. While in some of our Northern States there were widespread destructive fires in their forest districts, the State of New York was exempt in a fortunate degree. This was not due entirely to favorable weather conditions or a wet season. The rainfall was slightly below the normal, and at one time last May there was a period of drought during which it was deemed necessary to order out patrols. Many fires started up at this time along the railroads, but they were extinguished promptly by the firewardens before any damage was done.

On the forest lands belonging to the State 292 acres of timber were destroyed and 1,026 acres of waste or brush land were burned over. The latter was covered for the most part with ferns or huckleberry bushes and the sandy soil had been bare of humus for many years.

On private lands, in the Adirondacks, timber on 1,376 acres was destroyed or damaged, and 4,266 acres of brush or meadow land were burned over.

In the Catskills no fires occurred on State land; but timber on 2,535 acres was damaged, and the ground fires ran over 3,005 acres of wild meadows and brush lands. A compilation of the figures obtained from the reports of the various town firewardens indicates that the loss in standing timber amounted to $2,715 in the Adirondacks,

and $5,620 in the Catskills. I think, however, that the firewardens in many instances overestimated both the area burned and the amount of damage, especially in the Catskills. This was evident from the statements of the chief firewarden who in some of these cases, after reading the firewarden's report, made a personal examination of the burned territory. Furthermore, only a small percentage of the trees were consumed by the flames. By far the greater part were slightly charred, and, though killed by the heat, were still valuable for fuel, and, to a considerable extent, for lumber or other purposes. But the firewardens reported most of the scorched timber as a total loss.

In all there were 98 fires in the Adirondacks, and 44 in the Catskills. With the exception of a few that caused the damage here reported, they were attacked without delay and extinguished before they reached any standing timber.

In the Adirondacks there were 1,294 acres less of timber burned than in 1905; but 1,750 more of brush, or fern growth. In the Catskills there were 410 acres more of timber burned than in 1905; and I,IIO more of waste land.

The largest fire in the Adirondacks occurred May 19, in the town of Greig, Lewis county; it burned 200 acres of timber and spread over 600 acres of waste land. It was started by some incendiary, in the opinion of the firewarden, but all efforts to detect the criminal were fruitless.

The most destructive one in the Catskills occurred April 21, in the town of Lumberland, Sullivan county; it damaged 450 acres of timber and 50 acres of brush land. The loss in timber was estimated at $2,000. This fire was started by some children who were playing in the woods.

The number of fires in all — including incipient, slight, harmless or otherwise

Adirondacks.

in each county were:

Clinton county....

Essex county..

I

16