New-York tribune., 1902-08-10
4 FORESTRY SCHOOL.
uuFRE CORNELL STUDENTS
LEARN THE LORE OF THE
GREAT NORTH WOODS.
YORK OF THE COURSE IN PRACTICAL
TRUCTION-FOREST CULTURE
AND PRESERVATION.
AND PRESERVATION


The Cornell forestry preserve in the Adirondachs
&. now being inspected by the Adirondack lnFestl-
+t,v committee OF the Legislature, which viii
END several weeks in the North Woods on its
- summer tour. The committee represents
the Assembly only, but is accompanied by Senator
Tbornas Donnelly. OF New-York- and James G era
-, secretary 10 Governor Oden The ownership
= +he 81 oa0 acres Of land in Franklin County
which comprises the Cornell preserve has been
,as+fored bv Eric P. Swanson president Of the
Association Of Residents Of the Upper Saranac
TsEs The Saranac cottage owners assert that the
s-are owns the land and that under the law Cor
,eU has no right cut timber for mercantile pur-
sss The university contends that il may do
with this great tract as il deems best in expert
reutng with the principles and theories OF scien-
-sAc forestry. The association has appealed from
.ha decision of Attorney General Davies. which
o,o,,,cA5 as unwarranted the assumption that
tbe Cornell lands were still the property Of the
State.
The college forest is almost surrounded by the
rouular summer resorts OF the Adirondacks, and
tbe extensive work being carried on there this
summer By Cornell students and employees gives
the sumner colony objective point for drives
ana rranps through the woods
T47e college forest stations at Axton and Waw-
hacb a-e within easy distance OF the Lake Placid
resorts Paul Smiths ST Regis and the inns about
sa-anac Lake. From some of these places the trip
ran be made in canoes, with few portages Most
n the visitors viii have 70 drive over the hills
m and tenderly treated under system OF profes-
sionaI forestry They viii appreciate at least one
mart Of the work which the college has carried on
the building Of fine roads
The regular session Of the School OF Tall Tim
her" as some one has called this Cornell depart
r,ent closed before the summer visitors found
Nev-York TOO warm for comfort However, some
n the students remain in the forest throughout
the summer. taking special work along the Ane
NJ their chosen profession Some OF them OBTAIN
s-npIoyment from the State deputy fire warders
Several members Of the Cornell faculty have come
r-orn their homes in Ithaca 10 spend the summer
III the forest. Fishing is still good n the several
streams and lakes within its boundaries. and
hunters have little trouble finding game
The student toresters are following a most in
teresttng course, and they are glad OF the oppor-
truirv 70 tel visitors al about il The forest was
set aside BY the State IN 1895, and three classes
have been graduated The regular course EXTENDS
over four years. the first two of which are as
urirteresting as the ordinary college course-a
round Of lectures recitatons and laboratory prac-
ttoe which gives the foundation for the special and
practical 1eld work which comes later The prln-
ciples OF botany. surveying, simple engineering
mechanics and enough common law tof business
uurDoses constitute the fresh-nan-sophoInore TASK
To ire average college the change from
under TO upper class is marked chiefly oy DON
ming frock and silk hat To the prospective
forester II is something different He gets into a
rnackinaw suit heavy logger's boots and sweater
throws away his white shirts and collars, and for
sakes society for the woods he loves II he does
not love them his chances Of making success OF
his chosen profession are very slim
As soon as the snow is out Of the Adirondacks
the senior and junior foresters leave the campus
at Ithaca and go to the college forest The jour
nav is made by train. all except the last few
miles for Axton the main camp and centre OF the
forest IS some distance on the Adirondack and
St Lawrence Railroad Although the college pc
longs TO the richest State in the Union il does not
follovV that the accommodations are Up to date
The students live with their professors II d
simple frzne house. more pretentious than that
Of a poor North Woods farmer They take thelF
meals at a nearby shauty and pay the State for
-ba r,r1vfIeee A chicken house has been rebuilt
for library purposes and is supplied with the
technical works necessary in following up the
forest experiments. In the same manner an oIo
warehouse has been transformed into a lecture
room.
An around this primitive college settlement are
forests in every state Of preservation and the
lack OF After all. this is the really important
thing The professors argue that the young for
esters might as well learn the start that their
profession is easy one 70 follow, anc that
bs-dsrfns and lack Of luxuries viii be a
part Of Il Behind the forest on almost every
side are towering mountains. some OF which
hold their snow caps until late in the summer
Running through il are brooks and mountain
streams fairly teerniug with trout There are
lakes the cool water Of which deer come 10
drink and rartn=s where big brown bears find
hiding places
There is 10 regular schedule Of study in this
mountain school; too much depends upon the
weather. Perhaps the students viii first be
signed inspecting and assisting in logging oper-
ations. For demonstration purposes and as a part
OF the plan for making the college forest self
supporting, the State has loggers at work on part
OF the The logging crew varies from
81 100 men. and an experienced forester directs
the work The students learn how TO log
forest for The forests good. Great care is taken
in al operations disturb the young trees as
little possible and leave those which Will aid
IN bringing Up a second growth 'CulLng' is the
technical term for this operation.
The students mathematical training is called into
play in least twelve days Of hard practice work
In timber estimating and measuring What the old
timber cruiser did after fashion by intuition
the modern forester works out 10 the decimal by
mathematical rule. He estimate TO a wonderful
nicely the number Of feet Of lumber in given
many days Of ZACH The Students carry chains:
WELD axes sight through transits- and IN the end
and chou Ike 49, fsb'orers and finally turn out
road that Ills al requirements AfJerHard they
direct the college laborers in similar work
At AxtOr and Waw5eck the college mas estaa-
Hshed large nurseries in which the students learn
the mysteries Of the first step OF forest growth;
The Axton nvrs,ry guards nearly million useful
spr1nzng Of chestnut. North Carolina hickory. 81
oer1an larch and Japanese tree seeds. Al certain certain
cnes IN the year one might almost think that Cor
nell was running squirrel farm me news seems
70 have spread over the entire NORM Ho9cs lIlAt
food magnificent quantities is to be had al the
college nurseries At any rate Is ILg ~ a-s.
They insist having the best Of the lot. TOO loT.
1sEnaucaly dg row after row o. eApsLlse ~ pa pS
seed The seedlings are kept unoeF sc5es - 80 ai
protected from the frost by coverings OF dTy leaves
fern straw and balsam boughs- -, -,
Some time is given tree planting on the burned 1t
seedlings taken out Of the nursery ana the stq-
dents working IN pairs qulchy 80. 80 Hrfth - niant-