52 AMEKICAN FOKESTRY 



fiirhters on the spot without the needless loss of a second. To this end moun- I 



I 



tain out-look stations have been established through the Forest Preserve and , 



connected by telephone with villages and towns, so that fires may be promptly | 



discovered and fire fighters concentrated upon them with the least possible ^ 



delay. The foundation for an admirable organization has been laid, but at j 



least ten additional stations are required. i 



Every forest officer in the Adirondacks should have a list of the most ' 



willing and efficient men for fire fighting in his locality and where they can be j 

 reached, so that in case of emergency he may make the promptest use of the 



law authorizing him to call men out to fight fire. Organizations of citizens | 

 should be formed to supplement the salaried force, and further definite 



arrangements should be made in advance for gathering men, equipment and j 



sui)plies without loss of time when the need arises. j 



The present cost of fire protection is six tenths of one cent per acre per | 



annum for a property whose average value in timber alone is not less than i 



ten dollars per acre. Stated in another way, there is but one fire patrolman ! 



on forest lands in the Adirondacks to one hundred thousand acres. Lumber- i 



men in some of the Western States are now spending nearly four cents an | 

 acre for fire protection on lands of their own, which are no more valuable in 



money and far less important to the community than the North Woods. More ; 



than double the present force is badly needed. \ 



The present fire law, which rigidly forbids any burning of brush at certain I 

 seasons, regardless of the weather, and permits it at certain other seasons, 



equally regardless of the weather, often increases the danger from fire. Burn- j 



ing should not be allowed at any time except under permit, and with the | 



personal presence and supervision of a forest officer. j 



The law now requires that the tops of coniferous trees shall be lopped ' 



immediately after felling. The snow crushes lopped branches close to the i 



ground, so that they keep moist, rot more promptly, and lessen the risk from \ 



fire. Some criticism has been made of the value of lopping tops. From '• 



personal observation on land lumbered as much as twenty years ago where ' 

 no tops were lopped, and on similar land in the Adirondacks lumbered ten 



years ago where lopping was practiced, I can assert with confidence that ' 

 lopping does accomplish its purpose in making the forest safer against fire. 



Spruce tops honestly lopped rot down in ten years more thoroughly than i 

 unlopped tops in twenty, and even at the end of six or seven years present 

 little or no material to feed a fire. Fire on areas well lopped is much ensier 

 to fight than on unlopped lands, reproduction of the forest is not hampered, 

 and the general effect is entirely good. 



TRAINED FOREST FORCE NEEDED 



The efficiency of a forest force depends less on good laws than it does on \ 



good men. In the past the State forest force has at times been composed largely | 



of political appointees, and has suffered in consequence. While a great im- j 

 provement in the force has taken place, I recommend strongly that this im- 



