New-York tribune., 1901-12-29
SCIENTIFIC FORESTRY.
WHAT CORNELL is DOING IN THE ADJ
RONDACKS.
HOW TO GET THE MOST MONEY OUT OF
THE TIMBER CROP.

Cornell College Of Forestry draws attention to the
history and purposes of that institution BY an act
of the legislature passed early in 1898 the purchase
of 10000 acres of land in the Adirondacks ana its
presentation TO the of Cornell University
for a forestry school was authorized. The trans
action involved outlay of $i65,0O by the state
and conducted by the Forest Preserve Board
All that Cornell had do with that part Of the
business TO choose the site.
This tract should not be COMPOUNDED with the
Adirondack Park, belonging TO and controlled ny
the State and at p; esent embracing something hhe
100000 The forestry schools property is
irregular shape but IS approximately paraielo-
gram, three times long it is wide and stretch
ing In generally north and south direcuoh' Inc
southern end lies the north of Long Lake ana
has Mount Seward upon its eastern border. Big
Tupper Lake is situated several miles from the
western border. The northern extension OF the
tract lies between Upper Saranac Lake ana the
railway from Utica to Malone which In TINS nelsh-
borhood runs from southwest to northeast Inc
college property does closely approach the rail-
road Much less does it cross to the ST. Regis size
Part of the instruction is given in Ithaca but
during the spring the junior and senior stu
dents go the Adirondacks under the suidahce OF
two professors Old farm buildings at Axton near
the centre Of the tract have been renovated so as
to serve the purposes of lecture hail and dorml-
tory. but eventually it is hoped that an entirely
new edifce may be erected there Tor the coileSe.
The director of the college and dean of the faculty
Is DR.. r. r Fernow. He is assisted by Professor
Fibert Roth. who lectures on the use or tmoer lot
construction
Clifford custodian of collections and lecturer on
svIvtrI,lt1re and game preservation, and Professor
r. w. Everman. of the United States Fish COM
mission. Short courses in zoology by H. u heed.
timber estimating by c. p. Whitney. and marketing
the forest crop have been added. and 1t Is mtended
in the near future TO provide instruction in law and
engineering also. The school opened In september
1895 with thirty-one students. only four or whom
contemplated taking the full four years course ana
two years later ffty-four students were enroieu
oil a AXton
its foreman, or superintendent, bookkeeper ana
small crew of woodchoppers.
The underlying idea of institution Of this
kind Is that to realize the largest profit out OF
woodland 1t should be cared for scientific prin-
ciples Timber be regarded as a crop IKE
wheat. tobacco potatoes II must be cultivated
protected and harvested in WAYS which experience
proves TO be the best To demonstrate practically
| how the art is to be practised. suitable olt OF
| forest land should be turned over to experts Not
merely the students who attend and VINO secure
| remunerative positions In consequence OF thel'
training but the lumber trade in general also
derives benefit from such institution But since
the commercial results OF this policy are not i'm
mediate it is recognized that the state should
bear large share I'm the maintenance OF the IN
stitution. In Europe the value or sclehunc Ior-
estry is much better appreciated than In America
because forests have nearly disappeared from
densey populated regions the other side or
the Atlantic. Over here there has been an ap-
palling waste and destruction. But Americans are
awakening to their folly.
The legislature in granting land 10 the Cornell
College OF Forestry authorized the management
TO plant. raise cut and sell timber There Is some
question sboa. the constttutionaHfv OF Inc pro-
vision for the sale OF wood and IL may possibly
be necessary TO ask courts 20 decide the point
But this Is simply technical question. Obviously,
the work cannot be advantageously conducted
unless large freedom is given In this respect
The complaint Is occasionally made that wh'le
wide stretches OF land in the Adirondacks are be
ipy hI he Forestry
steps are not being taken to promote new growth
After all this is the phase Of the subject In which
the public is chiefly interested
In printed circular issued In reply TO this
criticism DR. Fernow says that in providing for
new crop the forester must consider not only the
pecuniary at his disposal but also the
condition OF the land when he first begins opera
| tions DR. Fernow has been hampered by made
quate financial backing And in many parts Of
| the college property the lumbermsn has already
| taken away the best kinds OF wood and left only
! inferior stuff. II the former 70 be re-estab-
! lished the latter ought TO he reduced
He insists, however. that reproduction is the
| keynote of forestry. The In which work was
! done last year did not exceed Ave hundred acres
! Of which three hundred require replantng. In
| cuding burned and waste lands. about two hun
! dred and ffty-hve have nov been so treated
! He adds:
pla3ted one hundred trees for every four tree.
permited per sSss !Ff as thereioss oqSins he main
| precept OF forestry 10 reproduce fhe crop. Inc
GndTs Sy 'pae Paere for ' While there there %ond % be no m
PrSPglfy epSG en- eSGs f ns NO 4s for
sF s f sa PGG90af 81 hf 9 tf r S9
has been cut and bundled an experiment, to see
| whether II could not be made useful The
the Valuable part has been already removed the
old decrepit hardwood crop Which is irotting and
by t doing fSR
| crop pay for the new: that is. carrying on the
| experiment like business venture
! DR. Ferrow declares that the hostility his
| operations proceeds from people who have hither-
| to used these lands for hunting, and with whose
| pleasure his work interferes; and he empha sizes
| a fact already mentioned. that he cutting trees
in the state Forest Preserve. but in the woods
of the college which owns them. That the Forest
| Preserve Board admires features of his pol
Icy would appear from the fact that IT has bought
for its own from nurseries less than i2o UIo
| young trees.
| In addition much repanting surveying and
| road cutting. the college has established market
| for logs and for cordwood. which, in the hard
| woods with which II has TO deal. represents three
| times in bulk what the logs represent 1t has put
| into operation regular well systematized log
| ging department, which harvests the old crop:
| and It has established nurseries, produce the
plant material for illing up the natural regenera-
ton in the and for planting up the waste
| places
Replying to a question addressed to him by The
| Tribune, Dr. Fernow says
do not know what reply shall make TO the
| petition Of the men who feel themselves injured
| operations back OF their properties, thereby
| disturbing their hunting our grounds. / may
the aesthetic feelings of adjoners and travellers
in keeping, a strip Of about two hundred feet
keeping hilltops intact for the same and other
he ynadc W. ~ aQ