FORESTS OF SOUTHERN NEW lERSEY 



(4) Volunteer pilch pine crowding out scrub oak; an early stage oi a forest of vigorous growth and Ihousancfs of acres in extent, 



whose future is conditioned solely by fife 



the right-of-way, or a wider zone, has 

 been cleared, all forest growth must be 

 sacrificed to the necessity of keeping 

 the ground free from inflammable mat- 

 ter. The law provides that these fire 

 lines must be worked over at least once 

 a year and kept in a condition to pre- 

 vent the escape of fire across the ten- 

 foot strip. One point in connection 

 with this law is to be noted ; namely, 

 that the railroad managers themselves 

 are among those most hopeful of good 

 results. The forest commission has had 

 very little difficulty in carrying the law 

 into effect. 



New Jersey is thus definitely em- 

 barked upon a policy of fire control as 

 the most hopeful means of preserving 

 and developing her forests. Some at- 

 tention is given to instructing the peo- 

 ple in forest management, and some 

 planting in an experimental wav has 

 been undertaken, yet in the firm belief 

 278 



that forest management, forest plant- 

 ing, or even popular education in for- 

 estry will accomplish little that is prac- 

 tical so long as there is danger that 

 everything will be lost through a forest 

 fire. Therefore, the subjection of these 

 fires will hold chief place in the pro- 

 gram of the state forest commission. 

 It is true that only a fraction of the 

 woodland is burned over every year ; it 

 is true that fires are less frequent and 

 less serious than they were a few years 

 ago, yet it is likewise true that if the 

 owner of a piece of woodland escapes 

 for a few years he is sure to hasten the 

 cutting of such a crop as ne can get 

 before the inevitable fire destroys it. 

 This results in an overproduction of 

 cordwood and an underproduction of 

 evervthing else. Our forests must be 

 so handled that every acre will yield 

 timber at a profit to the owner. Fire- 

 wood is rarelv more than an incident. 



