Having spent part of three years in the great Adirondack wilderness, N. Y., allow me to say a few words in favor of these " grand old woods".

I am inclined to speak very highly of this place, but different individuals take different views very often of the same subject, and value things according to their own measure of usefulness. Some go there for health, some for sport and pleasure, and some to get away from the great summer heat in the lowlands. But there is now another item of interest, I think, to which I would wish to call attention by and by. It is very hard to portray the beauties of this place and do it full justice; it must be seen to be appreciated properly. Certainly the landscape scenery is grand and very beautiful, composed as it is of wood and water, hill and dale. The vales consisting of chains of lakes, the traveling is nearly all performed by water. The sloping hills on either side present the rich forest to the best advantage. Scarcely any level land is to be seen.

The chain between Blue Mountain and Forked Lakes consisting of Blue Mountain Lake, Eagle Lake, Utowanna Lake and the Raquette Lake is supplied with four beautiful little steamboats which ply up and down every day during summer on these placid waters. The dark green verdure of the dense old forest is very attractive, and the work of the Great Landscape Artist who laid out this public park will always be admired; and although the prospect is always the same, wood and water, the eye never tires because the scenery changes at every turn, and the outline of these lakes is devious and ever varying. No one need wonder why His Excellency Grover Cleveland loves to visit this romantic place.

There is a nice mixture of deciduous trees among the evergreens, the latter, however, mostly predominate. The species of either are not numerous, yet this detracts nothing from the scene. Of the coniferous trees the Balsam Fir or Balm of Gilead species (Pinus Balsamea) is plenty and much admired, not only for its shape, color and beauty of outline, but also for the sweet and wholesome odor which it exhales. The White or Weymouth Pine (Pinus strobus), the Hemlock Spruce (Pinus Canadensis), and the Black Spruce (Pinus nigra), are the principal.

Bordering the lakes is found the American Larch or Tamarack (Pinus pendula), and the Arbor Vitae (Thuja occidentalis), in great plenty. There are a few plants peculiar to the margins of the lakes. These are the White Cedar or Arbor Vitae, the Shad-bush (Amelanchier), two species of Alder (Alnus) the Winter-berry (Prinos), two species of Spiraea, very ornamental shrubs, three Viburnums, one Mountain Ash (Sorbus Americana), the Huckleberry (Vaccinium), "and any quantity" of dwarf Laurel (Kalmia angusti-folia). Great beds of prostrate Yew (Taxus Canadensis), are frequently met with, and its rich dark green color looks very fine.

The principal deciduous trees are four species of Birch (Betula), two Poplars (Populus), two Beeches (Fagus); Ash and Elm are scarce. Small loss for they are objectionable. The lack of Oak and Chestnut is not perceptible, for their place is well filled by four species of Maple (Acer). Acer saccharinum, the sugar Maple, is the most plenty of all the deciduous trees, and it appears to me here is a very interesting point for the lovers of forestry and all those interested in tree planting.

Let us now consider how this large piece of public property consisting of about 6,400,000 acres can be utilized for the public good. The lack of trees on the Western prairies is felt as a great public loss, and seems to retard the progress of colonization. Plans are being devised to establish trees there, and great encouragement given to the planters. Land for tree nurseries is demanded. Now here it is - cheap and plenty - but the land belongs to the State of New York, not to the general government, some one will say. No matter, a compromise can easily be made. Now suppose we allow one-quarter of the surface for water and one-quarter for mountain tops and inaccessible places and one-quarter for uncongenial places for trees to grow, still we have one-quarter for our nursery or 1,600,000 acres of nursery patches to be attended to, and whatever way you take it will yield an abundance of trees almost spontaneously with a little attention. The nurserymen of the U. S. cannot supply one-half the trees that should be planted. I speak chiefly in favor of the Sugar Maple, that valuable tree that will adapt itself to almost all localities, is easily grown, and about the safest to plant as a shade tree; and again look at its value as a sugar producing plant.

We find in the statistics of the last U. S. Agricultural Report for 1885 that over one-twelfth of all the sugar produced in the United States comes from the sap of the Maple tree (Acer sac-charinum). Now I maintain that this tree can be grown in the Adirondack wilderness so easily, cheaply, with so little trouble and to such an extent, that many millions may be shipped annually, and the supply is almost inexhaustible.

Trenton, N. J.