The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-05
'REFORESTRY DONE
BY A COMMUNITY
Saranac Lake Village Setting
Ont Trees by the
Thousand.
MANY TRADESMEN HELP

Community forestry IL oe'hs o"'
cessfully carried on by the peop.e OF
Saranac Lake village, in the Adiron-
dacks. under the direction OF the Sar-
anac Lake Fish and Game Club when
has for it's objects the ref~orestation OF
denuded tracts of land. the restocking
of lakes and streams with trout
the better protection OF the gamc W
the Adirondack region.
After considering the work from a
| practical standpoint, the society last
voar started its reforestation work.
Baker Mountain, a mile from the vil'
laze limits Of Saranac Lake. was the
objective point Of Its labor. several
years ago a man started a faiioW
fire on Baker Mountain. The fire got
away from his control and resulted In
| considerable OF the timber on the
mountain being burned. A few years
later. when forest fires were raging
in the Adirondack Mountains, Baker
Mountain was almost completely de-
nuded of trees and all growth. For
wears afterward its bleak, bald summit
could be seen for miles In every direc-
ton.
The Adirondack Cottage sanitarium
AT Trudeau. Of which DR.. edward l..
Trudeau Of Saranac Lake is h u
der. bought a certain portion OF Baker
Mountain at a time when II was
heavily wooded. in order to prevent
cutting and TO protect the view which
ii gave from the sanitarium grounds.
This sanitarium tract Is bordered on
one side by a parcel OF land owned
by the state of New York and from
which the timber was also completely
destroyed by the fires.
Small ~pincherries and raspberry
bushes had sprung up and covered in
a sparse fashion considerable OF the
]barrenness which resulted from the
fires. and yet the mountain was a
bleak monument to h forest
fires which had swept 1t and had
resulted in the downward wash of the
soil to the valley below. AS a result
Of this wash members OF the Fish and
Game Club decided to undertake the
task Of reforesting the sanitarium sec
ton OF the mountain, and in keeping
with their practical study they began
work at the very top to stop further
wear Of the elements.
Some $1,000 trees. Scotch and Nor
way pines. were purchased from the
State nursery plantation at Saranac
Inn at the rate of so cents per 1000.
The purchase Of the trees being the
smallest item in the cost OF reforesta-
ton. the club called for volunteer
planters to help on a certain day OF
hat May. 1914. The response was
fairly generous, and among the men
who gave OF their time to help trans
port and plant were a druggist. an
editor, a game warden. a professor
OF mathematics, guides. high school
boys and business men OF various pro-
fessions.
1t was necessary I carry the trees
up the mountain by hand. as the
only passable route was a steep and
rocky trail. Pals were used for the
transportation that the soil might be
kept around the root, The school
boys rendered valuable assistance in
carrying the trees and also in carrying
water. which was used TO moIsten the
roots when they were planted. Heavy
rains Of early May had prepared the
soil for the reception Of the trees.
while rainy and cloudy days which
followed kept the soil from drying out,
conditions favorable 10 the growth OF
the small pine.
The result Of that days work Is evil
dent to those who make the ascent o,
Baker Mountain to-day for the piano.
ramic view from It's summit. as wei,
as in the green haze which is envelop-
ing 1t 10 the sight OF the s%anitarium
colony. In the past year those trees
have made a vigorous and healthy
growth Of six inches.
In May Of this year, 1915. the club
purchased 10000 more Scotch pine
trees at the State nursery and paid a
Professional tree planter 800 to plant
,hem, half on the san!tarium side and
half on the Mackenzie Pond SIDE OF the
mountain. Rainy weather again
favored the planting and this years
trees are making excellent growth
completing a total of $4,000 growing
trees planted as the result of the pub
lie spirit OF the club.
This mountain was completely
stripped of its trees by fire in less
than two days. and 1t has been onser'
latively estimated that at the present
rate Of planting 5000 trees a year Il
will take five years more to complet,
the work. This Toes not include am
planting on the tract owned by New
York State. which Is still in a denudeC
condition and vii. remain so. in so IA,
as the club is concerned, as long A,
the Adirondack forests are in The
slightest danger OF being invaded b,
the lumhermen.
This community forestry is possibl,
to any town or village, and make
feasible the starting OF community
forest parks without number. Practi
cslly every community has adjacent 4
il a plot of barren land that could b,
converted into a forest tract tina
would be a source OF much pleasur,
and heath to It's people, For tn,
benefit Of any who may wish to TAX,
up this work in their localities It ma,
he said that a slight reduction In pric,