Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-01-04
THEADiRoNDACK FORESTS.
MIR. COIvIn Explains the case to tho
New York Chant ber of Commerce.

about LOO, 900 acres OF wilderness COM
prise the heart Of the Adirondack regions"
said Mr.. Verplauck C)lvin, superintendent
of the Adirondack survey, to the chamber
of commerce SPECIAL committee.
"What do you mean by wilderness p asked
chairman Jesup.
"Wld and unproduciyc country covered
with timber where they hunt and trap bears"
was the reply. Mr. Colvin explained that
south of the 1, 200, 600 acres there were other
large tracts of forest lands belonging to the
Adirondack region that could not properly
be called wilderness. This southern
section comprised the watershed OF the
Hudson The lumbermen, the speaker said,
were fast destroying the Adirondack for
ess. They had ceased to regard the pine
and the spruce as the only desirable timber
in that region. Thcy were cutting every
thing, both hard aud soft. The State had
attempted to cXerci.e supervision over its
lands in the Adrondacks. The territory
was 50 large, however, that there had been
some difficulty in determining what portions
of the region BELONGED t. the State. Mr..
Colvin said that it was very important that
the watershed in the Alirondacks should be
protected, as the Erie, Champlain aud Black
River canals were al! dependent upon it.
According to the official reports last
June the State Owned 513,SS6, acres
| in the 10 or ii counties that lie
within the Adirondack regions, but | un-
dersland titles have been perfected for only
about 400 900 acres a great deal of the
land in the Adirondicks had reverted to the
State for nOn-payment OF taxes. Inc lands
had been used 81 much in speculation anu
had passed from hand to nan 50 frequent
Ill, -; lIn,,
Erastus Brooks believed that If the cham
ner of commerce desired TO do effective work
IT'S members should make q prompt, torcihle,
aud determined appral to the l. gsWnre II
protect what forest lands he State al
ready owued aud t. acqur tie l'ni- il
did not own. MIR Br ks Onurned
"rhe original 'iuter Of the Ailr"n'
lacks l. z neraliy spruce. pie, 'r''nI ,cK,an"
Other eg,rgretns When this mber Is clr ar
cd it is foilnwed by -.wiite poplar, birrh, ,and
| other derldIUus woods. The sprnceS art
rhe most abuudAur AMI the i, perhaps, NJ
| TIMBER equally well adapted tor sccurl &
regular suuply 0' pure water for our streams
Spruce dutf les on the ground tom 10
feet IN thickness This duff Ids and ab
serbs wat r alm0s' equal To the sp nge. L
becomes thoroughly saturated hy Spring
rains, and The moisture slowly Oozes OUT il
|
it falls ant prevents freshets, which other
wise would occur by the wa er rushing rapid
! ly irto the Streams. When the spruce tim
bcr is cut away, this dutf all disappears, l
gets dry and is burned up"
Yes" interjected Mr.. Colyin, land wher
this duff Disappears it leaves the trees deaC
aud dry, easy prey TO flies" The dutf, Mr
Colvin added, kept the roots of the tree
alive by retaining the moisture 1t had ac
cumulated very slowly, and where the pres
ent deposit was destroyed it would BE- 100
years probably b fore nature would replac
it. Mr. j. G. Parsons asked whether com
mission having supalysion over The Stat'
forests could be made effective in their pres
ervaion. Mr, Colviu answered that otficla
supervision of the forests had proved advan
tagcous in every way in loreign countries.
Prof. N. Ii. EEgcston of Washington, tn
head of the bureau of forestry Of the depart
ment of agriculture said that the Presiden
expressed desire to be KEEP, informed o
what was done in this matter. The depart
ment of agriculture would willingly cooper
ate with the authorities Of the State. Th
professor stated that The department wit
|, which he was connected had recommended
to Congress that an act be passed prohibitin
the further sale of government forest lands
This statement was warmly applauded b
the committee.