The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-07-09
Forestry Work in Maine.

Roy l.. Marston has just completed
a report OF the damage to the timber
on Taunton and Raynham from the
fire of last Spring which is said to
have started from sparks of the loco
motives of the Canadian Pacific Rail-
way. He also reported the damage
from the same fire on the lands of M
G. Shaw Lumber Co. last Fall. r. r.
Paine of Winslow had charge of the
crew counting the trees burned.
Monday morning, Mr.. Marston
started from here to begin his sum-
mer's field-work with big outfit of
tents and instruments. He has con-
tracted to map all the lands of the
Coburn Estate and the Estate of the
late J. Manchester Haynes, the two
largest cumberland holdings by private
owners in the state, comprising to-
gether about 100000 acres. When
these have been finished, Mr.. Mars
ton will have mapped and estimated
$780, 900 acres of land in Maine which
is about per cent of the total area of
the cumberland in the state, probably
a larger amount than has been done
by any other man in the state. The
work consists of a Typographical map
showing elevations in 20 foot contours
after the manner of the L. S. Govern
ment maps, division of the area into
sections one mile square with well
marked boundaries and corner posts,
an estimate of all the standing timber
of all species on each section, an esti
mate of the growth per year and the
amounts which may be cut every ten
years without cutting more than the
annual growth and finally plan for
the cutting which will provide for the
largest permanent income from the
land without injuring the principle.
The growing feeling among lumber
men that there is to be scarcity of
timber if the present methods are
persisted it has made the forester's
services in Maine almost indispen-
sible.
There is probably no forester in the
country who by experience and train
ing is better equipped for the work
on Spruce land in the North woods
than Roy L. Marston of this town.
After considerable experience in
Maine logging with his father the late
Chas. A. Marston, he was graduated
from the Yale Forest School to the
faculty of which he was appointed
professor Immediately on graduation
which position he held until his re-
turn to Skowhegan on the death of
his father. His service in the United
States Forest Service of several years
carried him to all parts of this coun-
try and later large consulting prac-
tice has familiarized him with lum-
boring conditions as but few men are
able to be. Mr.. Marston believes
that Maine offers the best field for the
forest expert in this country for the
reason that cumberland in this state
reproduces itself so well that it natur-
ally responds to forestry treatment
more satisfactorily than in any other
region, and also for the reason that
no other state is SO dependant upon
the preservation of the forest for its
progress and prosperity.
The men who joined Mr.. Marston at
Jackman Monday are as follows:
Parker Foss, Fred G. Poolep, Clair R.
Marston, Raymond Smith, Ernest
Hayes, Wallace Lewia, Herbert Pom
Glow, Allie Pomelow and Peter Pom
Glow all of Skowhgean, Ralph Pen
ney, L. F. Pike, Geo. A. Wakefield,
w. w. Wright and S. B. Locke all of
the University of Maine, Harold