those more distant should be made as readily accessible as possible. The value of the forest as a playground is becoming every day better recognized. With the growing complexity of our American life it is essential that adequate opportunities be provided, especially for city dwellers, to get into close touch with nature. The recreational function of the forest thus becomes an important one, particularly in the publicly GRAZING IN A PARK, Apache National Forest, Arizona owned forests in a state characterized by large centers of population like New York. That this need is a real one is shown by the increasing use of the Adirondacks, the Catskills, the Palisades Interstate Park, and other forest areas in the state as playgrounds. The same tendency is manifest in the development of the recreation idea in the National Parks and National Forests of the western states. Whether or not it is advisable that the state owned forests of New York should be used solely for protection and recreation purposes, to the exclusion of other use, is a question which need not here be discussed. But it is evident that as density of population increased in this state, more and more will the publicly owned areas be used for recreation. Forests may be used for recreation in several ways; by the transient visitor who traverses them on foot, by automobile, or by canoe; by the camper, who spends the whole or a part of his vacation in the woods; and by the hunter, who gets his pleasure from the pursuit of fish or game. This last use of the forest is closely linked up with the growing appreciation of the value of the animal life of the forest and the part which birds, animals and fishes have to play in the broad field of conservation. The present day movement for the Conservation of Wild Life points clearly to the growing importance of this phase of the matter. (Continued on page, 32) VIEWPOINTS A Page or Two of Editorials and Communications, The destruction of all forms of property caused by the world conflict is now at its height. As far as forests are concerned, the coming of peace will not diminish their destruction. Many of the European states have large sums invested in standing timber and their impoverished treasuries will demand the felling of the forests. America will not only feed Europe after the war, but to a large degree will supply her with products of the forest. With foreign demands added to our domestic needs, with new uses being discovered every day, with forests supplying products useful in war and peace alike, the state and nation must maintain its forest program. F. F. M. FIRE PROTECTION for our Stateowned lands is of vital importance, A Fire Menace. both for the standing timber and for the young plantations. The present Constitution forbids removal of any timber from the wild lands of the State. This makes it impossible to remove the fire menace caused by dead trees and fallen timber. A remedy for the situation is to adopt legislation to change Article 7, Section 7, of the Conservation Law of the Constitution to accord with the recommendations of the Conservation Commission of the Constitutional Convention of 1915. The altered Constitution would then read, "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 trees and timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed. *** White pine blister rust has gained a start in the most valuable pine forests of New York and officials of the Conservation Commission have already begun a vigorous campaign to stamp it out before it has progressed beyond control. preserve, to construct fire trails thereon and to remove dead trees and dead timber therefrom for purposes of reforestation and fire protection solely, but shall not sell the same." The words in bold face are the additions to present Constitutional provisions. This legislation should be started at the next meeting of the Legislature, as it takes three years and a referendum to enact a law that would change the Constitution. With the new authority given the Conservation Department an appropriation should be granted to cover the expense of the work outlined. almost of a holiday festivity, with true community feeling and spirit. The girls as a rule are more conscientious planters than the boys, and more satisfactory work is reported as being accomplished by the children than the men who have hitherto been employed. Commissioner Pratt is to be congratulated on introducing this work to school children both for economic and because of its value in reasons, teaching children to appreciate the practical and sentimental uses of Tree Conservation. In the Long Run! IN ALL HIS DEALING with the forest the underlying idea of man should be to make the forest serve him to its fullest extent; whether this shall be in supplying him with its products, or in serving as a cover on mountain slopes or other land that must be protected, or in any one of the ways of recreation, are matters that must be decided for each forest, as cases arise. The essential idea of forestry-the proper care and management of the forest-is wise use. The forest problem in New York State is to ascertain what use or combination of uses will best in the long run meet the needs of all the people, and then to apply the right principles in managing the forests of the state so as to attain these ends. 坐坐坐 R. S. H. Inspectors have been at work in Clinton and Essex counties making examinations of all planted and native pines, in order to ascertain the present limits of the disease. THE PINE BLISTER RUST is just about the biggest matter in sight to occupy the energy of the New Get York State Forestry Associathe tion. Our chestnut trees in Facts! this state are gone as a commercial crop and it will be a disaster to the state if we lose our white pine as well. It seems to me that the State Forestry Association has work cut out for it right now in combating this menace. In the first place, it cannot give the subject too much publicity. When the public realizes the danger threatened by the disease it will act intelligently to stamp it out, insofar as private citizens can act in this respect; it will give the necessary support to the Conservation Commission and the Agricultural Department of the State in their work of eliminating the disease; and it will provide the public sentiment required to procure the necessary appropriations from the legislature for doing the work of eliminating diseased trees and plants. I also believe that the Association itself should carry on a vigorous campaign in the State Legislature another year for increased appropriations because I do not believe that the appropriation made by the last session of the legislature is at all commensurate with the requirements of the situation. The disease can be stamped out but it has already acquired such a foothold in this State that it will take heroic measures and large sums of money to This year's work should give a very There is no use going to the legis Map out the diseased areas of this; also have the cost for whatever 坐坐坐 During the fall of 1916 a bad infection was found on native pines in the vicinity of Lewis, Essex county, extending northward as far as Poke-0Moon-Shine mountain. Recently it has been found to extend westward and eastward from this general locality for a distance of several miles. method is decided upon for removing diseased pine trees, costs of inspection, etc. The thing to do is to wake up the people of the State and get action in this crisis in our forest history. The New York State Forestry Association is particularly fitted to do this work. It is a great opportunity and we should grasp it. John B. Burnham. TREE-PLANTING FOR THE STATE by Marguerite Cochran-Age 12 ĮRANKLIN COUNTY is now being looked after and all the State land that has been burned over by forest fires, or cleared by farmers before the present cultivation was adopted, is being planted with little trees from three to eight inches high. White and Norway Pines are sent from the State Nursery at Bluff Point. They are in bunches consisting of fifty-seven in each bunch. Men, women and school children are hired to do the work. They receive twenty-five cents per hour, ten hours, two dollars and fifty cents per day. Children receive the same. The men and large boys dig the holes with grub hoes. They are called grubbers." The women, girls and small boys pulverize the soil and put the tree carefully in the hole, pressing all the soil that was taken out of the hole firmly about the roots with their feet. There are about twice as many planters as grubbers. Each planter averages from three to five bunches a day. For instance, six grubbers and fourteen planters will plant 56 bunches, or three thousand one hundred and ninety two trees a day of ten hours. They are set in rows two, four, and eight feet apart, lining up straight each way. The women and girls receive compliments and praise for their work each day from the boss, who is very agreeable. If the weather holds cloudy and rainy the planting will continue; if dry it will last only a week or ten days more. The work is pleasant and healthful for all. Some of the planters have a long walk to and from their work. In order to confine the blister rust to its present limits, employees of the Conservation Commission have begun to throw an immune zone around it by eradicating all wild and cultivated currants and gooseberries from the Ausable Valley extending around to Keene and Huberts. The same work is being continued south of the infection at Lewis and it is planned, before the summer is over, to completely surround the infection with an area in which every currant and gooseberry shall have been eradicated. Compensation for valuable plants destroyed is to be made in accordance with valuations which will be determined by the State Department of Agriculture, the payment being made out of an appropriation passed by the last legislature. |