rights now form the chief trouble of the commissioners in charge, who have for many years been endeavoring, by purchase or exchange, to consolidate the parks once more.

In the present case no mining applications need be feared, as there appears to be few or no minerals of value in the district. As for the rest, it would certainly seem desirable that, to avoid future annoyance, the title to every portion of the territory should remain in the hands of the Government.

ERECTION OF SUMMER RESIDENCES.

With regard to the question of summer residences, it would certainly be undesirable to permit the erection of permanent buildings, as the owners of such might in course of time lay claim to the land on which they were built. If permission to erect buildings were granted, it might be made a condition that such permission gave no privilege of occupancy beyond a certain short term. This would tend to prevent the erection of buildings of a more solid character than the ordinary cheap and easily removable structures which are found to answer all purposes of temporary residence.

The allowing villages or settlements of any description within such a reservation has always been found the commencement of a great and ever-growing annoyance to those who are entrusted with its management, an evil easily prevented at first, but difficult to abolish if once allowed to exist.

NAME OF THE PROPOSED PARK.

The commissioners suggest that the name of the Reservation be The Algonquin Park, in this way perpetuating the memory of one of the greatest Indian nations that has inhabited the North American continent.

At the time of the discovery of America the Algonquin Indians were lords of the greater part of what was formerly known as Canada, and principally inhabited the great basins of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. After their defeat in the St Lawrence valley by the Iroquois they abandoned that valley and joined their kindred north and west. History finds them early in the sixteenth century seated about the shores of lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior. They were divided into numerous bands, bearing generally some local name, but differing in scarcely any appreciable degree in language, features, manners or customs. They included the Nipissings, Ottawas, Montagnais, Delawares, Wyandots, Mississagas, and over thirty other different tribes. The Nipissings, who are deemed the true Algonquins by ancient writers, lived at lake Nipissing.

There are still the remains of an old burial ground on the lonely shores of the Great Opeongo lake, and as this locality abounded in game and lies about midway between the Ottawa river and lake Huron it was doubtless a favorite

hunting ground of the roving tribes, and perhaps also the scene of many a sanguinary conflict between bands of contending warriors ascending the Petawawa and Madawaska on the east and the Muskoka and Maganetawan on the west.

In the opinion of the commissioners it is fitting that the name of a once great and powerful people, who in their savage manner held sway over this territory centuries ago, should bequeath their name to a part of it which it is now proposed to maintain, as nearly as possible, in the condition in which it was when they fished in its waters and hunted and fought in its forests.

UNITED STATES AND CANADIAN FOREST RESERVATIONS.

There will be found on the following pages information relating to and descriptions of two United States Forest Reservations, one, the Adirondack, being a State, and the other, the Yellowstone, a National Reservation; and also of the Banff National Park, a Canadian Reservation :

THE ADIRONDACK PARK, STATE OF NEW YORK.

For some years past commissioners have been engaged in the State of New York in arranging the boundaries of what is proposed to form the Adirondack Park, a forest reservation somewhat similar to the one proposed in Ontario. The chief difficulty met with appears to be that the State lands, which the commissioners have in charge, are interspersed with lands held by private parties, and to consolidate the State reservation by purchase or exchange where possible, and in other cases to induce private owners to adopt a method of forest preservation similar to that which the State will enforce, has been the object of the commission, which has already spent large sums in the prosecution of the work.

The following copious extracts from a late (their fifth) report will give much information as to the course they propose to pursue-more, in fact, than any of their other reports:

The report states that the remarkable exemption from fire, so noticeable in 1888 and 1889, has continued during 1890. As before, it is undoubtedly due in a large extent to the rules and regulations which have been thoroughly posted throughout the Adirondack and Catskill preserves, and to the vigilance of the fire wardens. The widespread distribution of these printed rules of the commission regarding the use and abuse of fire has reduced the prevalence of dangerous fires to a minimun, while the efficient organization of the firewarden system, under which one or more active officials are ready at all times for duty in each town (the New York "town" corresponds to the Canadian township), has prevented the fires, when started, from doing any serious damage.

The rules and regulations for the prevention of forest fires are printed on heavy card twelve by fifteen inches, or latterly upon white muslin, as this material has proved more durable, most of the placards being posted in the woods, or on fences, school-houses and mills, where they are exposed to the weather.

Over 15,000 of these rules have been posted by the foresters and firewardens throughout the preserve counties, and the commission believes that much of the immunity from fire is due to their general distribution. They have been an important aid in warning the careless and in educating the people in this par ticular. The rules are as follows:

RULES FOR THE PREVENTION AND SUPPRESSION OF FOREST FIRES AND FOR THE PROTECTION OF FOREST TREES.

1. All persons intending to light fires for the purpose of clearing or improvement must give notice of their intention to the nearest firewarden before such fire is lighted.

2. No fires of the character before specified will be permitted until the trees are in full leaf. After such fires are lighted competent persons must remain to guard them until the fire is completely extinguished.

3. Fires will be permitted for the purpose of cooking, warmth and insect smudges; but before such fires are kindled sufficient space around the spot where the fire is to be lighted must be cleared from all combustible material; and before the place is abandoned fires so lighted must be thoroughly quenched. 4. All fires other than those hereinbefore mentioned are absolutely prohibited.

5. Hunters and smokers are cautioned against allowing fires to originate from the use of firearms, cigars and pipes, and all persons are warned that they will be held responsible for any damage or injury to the forest which may result from their carelessness or neglect.

6. Felling trees and girdling or peeling bark from standing trees are prohibited. Fallen timber only may be used for firewood and camp construction.

7. Foresters and firewardens are instructed, and all citizens are requested, to report to the forest commissioners immediately all cases of damage or injury to forest trees arising from a violation of these rules, which may come to their knowledge.

Since the publication of the previous report trespasses on State lands throughout the forest preserves have continued to diminish in number and extent, a result due in part to increased vigilance in protecting timber lands, but owing largely to the change in public sentiment among the people living in the timber district in regard to the custom of cutting timber on State lands.

The commission reports a total expenditure of $24,891.20, being $5,108.80 less than the appropriation of $30,000 for the work. Although since 1888 the area of State holdings has been largely diminished by the redemption of lands forfeited for non-payment of taxes, these losses have been more than compensated by accessions, and there has been a net increase of 81,149 acres in the area of the preserve since the commission took charge, the area on December 31st, 1885, being 715,267 acres as compared with 796,416 acres on January 1st, 1891.

The report embraces a special report made by the commission to the State Legislature dealing with the message of Governor Hill, which called attention to the subject of establishing a State Park in and about the head waters of the rivers having their sources in the Adirondack wilderness, and was referred to the Forest Commission with instructions to investigate the possibilities of such an undertaking and report their recommendations as to the most effective methods to accomplish it.

The regions popularly known as the Adirondacks is one of undefined extent. In years gone by the wild lands of the Adirondacks have been stated to cover 12,000 square miles, which was doubtless an over estimate, and included lands not properly belonging to the Adirondacks tract. Villages, settlements, farms

and clearings have been established all around its borders, and have made large encroachments upon the original acreage. Taking the most reliable data obtainable, the gross area of the Adirondack wilderness proper is shown now to be about 5,600 square miles, or 3,600,000 acres, which includes the area of water, overflowed lands, clearings, farms, and some villages or settlements. Of this estimated gross area of 3,600,000 acres the State has acquired title to a total area of 765,036 acres, inclusive of water and overflowed lands. This is not compact, but lies in widely-separated parcels, varying in extent and interspersed among tracts held by individuals and corporations, some of whom have established private preserves and parks in the woods for purposes of pleasure and recreation. There must be some scheme adopted by which an area could be consolidated sufficiently large to render the establishment of a Park expedient. The commissioners consider the exercise of the right of eminent domain at present impracticable, as it would arouse hostility and defeat the entire Park scheme. They regard the proposal to purchase the lands held by private owners as more feasible, though widely conflicting opinions as regards the amount required for the purpose were found to prevail. While public opinion as a whole has been from the first strongly in favor of the Park, objections to it have come from two classes of people, as was anticipated, though not very strongly or definitely expressed.

The first class of possible opponents are the clubs and various associations and individuals who are holding land in the Adirondacks for purposes of pleasure or as summer resorts. The number of these has greatly increased since the agitation of the Park scheme. These private reserves being mostly held by men of means, are not for sale.

Another class from whom objection was anticipated are those interested in lumbering and paper-making. The State holdings are interspersed among and bounded on every side by immense tracts held by timber dealers and papermakers, who have paid for their lands and have built saw-mills and pulpmills, dams and other structures at a great expenditure of money.

It soon became evident that there must be devised some system of adjustment and modus vivendi between the State on the one hand and those owning private reserves and lumber lands on the other, under which the Park could be established, leaving the rights and privileges of all undisturbed. With this end in view the commission invited representatives of all private interests to present their opinions and informally discuss the entire subject in all its bearings. The fact was elicited that the * owners of private reserves were unanimously in favor of the Park, provided certain privileges were conceded them. The claim made on behalf of the private reserves is that while the aim of their establishment may differ from that of the State Park they are practically accomplishing the precise object sought; viz., the preservation of the forest.

With one or two exceptions timber is not allowed to be cut, fire is guarded against and no acts of depredation 'or trespass allowed. The commission came to the conclusion that the chief objectionable feature of the reserves, the exclusion of the public from private reserve lands, can be by negotiation and mutual concession removed, and that it does not seem to be essential to the full success of the Park scheme that the State should immediately acquire the lands included in the private reserves, it being of less consequence who shall preserve the forests than that they should be preserved. The real purpose can be served by an agreement with the owners of the reserves that their lands shall be managed under the same system and subject to the same regulations as the Park, the title to remain for the time in the present owners as an offset to a concession on their part that the public shall have access to their lands, and that if they are ever offered for sale the State shall have the refusal to purchase.

As to the lands held by lumbermen, it is essential that much of that area should be eventually owned by the State, and there should be a method inaugurated, having for its object the gradual acquisition of lands for the Park as opportunities arise.

Many parcels of land, some fairly well covered with timber, lie scattered in small tracts so far from the main body of the Adirondack lands as to be unavailable for Park purposes. These lands can be exchanged, on a fair business basis, for lands within the proposed Park area now owned by individuals. Still further, it is proposed that the State acquire title to land now owned by lumbermen within the proposed Park area, under condition that the "soft wood" (thereby meaning spruce, hemlock, pine and tamarack) may be cut and taken out within a specified time, under conditions to be established. The mature timber standing on the land owned by the State might be exchanged under conditions of a like sort for lands desirable to be enclosed within the State Park. In this way the land on which such growing timber stands could be retained by the State, and new lands acquired which in a few years in the course of nature will be recovered with a new forest growth.

The report points out that the true interests of the lumbermen are not incompatible with forest preservation. Under the old practice of cutting the forests have rapidly disappeared, and if it continues for a few years none will be left; the lumberman will have ruined his own business. It is the purpose of forestry to point out to the lumberman the true methods of exercising his own. profession, which will provide him material for the future as well as the present by maintaining permanent forests through a succession of crops. The lands acquired for the Park can be, doubtless, brought under a system of good forestry management and permanent forests established thereon.

The commission believes it to be good policy for the State to acquire timbered and even denuded lands for Park purposes, since these lands can be obtained at a small cost, and it is a well-established fact that if a tract of cleared or even