All the specimens of animals, birds and fish were properly and uniformly labeled, giving the names the various species are generally known by, and also the scientific nomenclature adopted by naturalists. The importance of this matter of nomenclature was demonstrated very early during the Fair. The song birds being very small no labels were placed upon them at first, as the labels were in some instances larger than the birds. The fact that visitors examining the specimens would often search for the attendant in order to obtain information as to the names of the different birds exhibited proved the necessity of clearly labeling all specimens. On the other hand there seemed to be a general misunderstanding as to some species of fish, various names being applied to the same species. Visitors were constantly requesting information on these points. The northern pike are by many people called pickerel and sometimes when in water with pickerel are mistaken for muscallonge. The distinguishing marks were frequently explained to interested visitors.
FORESTRY
One of the most scientific and practical features of the New York exhibit was that made by the Forestry department. It was prepared to show the method by which the Forestry Commission is reforesting large areas of State land that have been denuded by repeated fires.
A FOREST NURSERY
The most important part of this was a fully appointed forest nursery, located out of doors close to the northeast corner of the Forest, Fish and Game building. Its neat rustic fence, made of white cedar poles, enclosed an area Of 7,200 square feet (120 feet long by 60 wide) and contained about 80,000 little trees alive and green. The soil being of heavy clay, it was covered to the depth of six inches with good loam before any seeds were sown.
About one-third of the nursery was arranged in beds each sixteen feet long by four feet wide with paths three feet in width. In two of these beds seeds were sown of Scotch pine, Norway spruce, hardy catalpa and American elm, half a bed being given to each species. The seeds were sown about the first of May. They germinated well, and the little trees grew thriftily, the catalpa reaching a height of eighteen inches before the Fair closed. A bed of Norway pine showed the plants on half the bed crowded together in a thick mat as if grown from seed sown broadcast; on the other half arranged as if from seed sown in rows across the bed, both methods of sowing seed being followed in actual practice. Four beds were given to two-year-old plants—Norway spruce, white pine, European larch and Scotch pine. These were also arranged as if grown from seed sown broadcast.
These beds, excepting the seed bed for broad-leaf species, were all shaded with neat screens made of lath to shelter the tender plants from the hot rays of the southern sun.
In actual nursery work, after conifers have remained in the seed bed for two years, they are transplanted into other beds, being spaced four or five inches apart, where they remain for two or three years more before they are placed finally in the forest. Six beds were devoted to showing this feature of nursery work. For this purpose four-year-old plants were used, of the following species Norway pine, Norway spruce, white spruce, white pine, European larch and Scotch pine.
A sample plantation which occupied nearly half the nursery showed how the plants are, in actual practice, placed in the forest. White pine, Norway spruce and Scotch pine were the species used. These were about three feet high and were spaced about four feet apart.
To show how the broad-leaf species are raised for shade trees, for planting along the highways of the State, for farmers' wood lots, for sugar groves and hardwood forests, ten drills, stretching entirely across the nursery between the beds and the sample plantation, were planted with scarlet oak, red oak, honey locust, hard or sugar maple, red or soft maple, basswood, white ash, black walnut and hardy catalpa, a row being given to each species. These were one year old and were spaced about six inches apart.