FORESTRY PROGRESS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 29 



Through the activity of the town fire wardens the state's legal depart- 

 ment was able to secure the trial and conviction of a few cases of incendiarism. 

 The first annual convention of town fire wardens for mutual co-operation and 

 exchange of ideas was held at Bretton Woods during the first week of August, 

 1910, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Society for the Protection 

 of New Hampshire Forests, and addresses were given by Governor Quinby, 

 R. P. Bass, chairman of the commission, the state foresters of Massachusetts, 

 Vermont, New Hampshire and others. In October, 1910, the timberland 

 owners effected a permanent organization for further protection and co 

 operation along the lines of the western protective associations. 



Much, however, remains to be accomplished. As fire protection is dis- 

 tinctly a function of the state the advisability of establishing four general 

 fire districts and a paid district chief over each, is felt to be much needed. 

 The district chief, working under a salary, can organize the town fire wardens 

 in his section and take many necessary measures towards prevention. An 

 additional appropriation is needed for paid patrol during the fire season, tool 

 and pi'ovision supply storehouses, maps, construction of fire trails and fire 

 lines, and an addition to the number of mountain fire lookout stations. More 

 stringent methods are thought to be necessary to reduce the frequent cause 

 of danger from locomotive sparks and the burning of brush. An enlargement 

 of the state nursery is called for by the demand for seedlings. The excellent 

 New lork state law requiring the lopping of the branches from the felled topti 

 of soft wood trees, so that the stem falls to the ground, should be carried oui. 

 Small lots for the practical demonstration of forestry methods should be 

 established at different points throughout the state, and special emphasis laid 

 on the need of intensive cultivation of poorly productive forest land, and the 

 conservative cutting of the existing stand for the future conservation of one 

 of the principal industries of the state, lumber, paper and pulp, and the reser- 

 vation of her scenic attractiveness for the protection of the rapidly growing 

 summer business. Especially should interest center upon the preservation of 

 what we now so richly enjoy in the way of natural forest reserves, and, in the 

 words of Gen. C. C. Andrews, the veteran forest commissioner of Minnesota 

 (who failed to secure but a part of the appropriation he urged as necessary 

 to the protection of his state shortly before the great fire) : "The best way to 

 put out fires is to prevent them.'' 



