532 A^^IERICAN FORESTRY 



cord and Nashua, have acquired land, co-operation of the towns and Tim- 



usually for the protection of reservoirs ; berland Land Owners' Association 



ten thousand acres being the total and the Federal Serice, which com- 



owned by towns throughout the State. prises at the present time in total 



24 mountain lookout stations with 



STUDY OF CONDITIONS watchmen, 24: regular patrol routes and 



50 temporary ones at times of extreme 



The State Forester has printed and dry weather; the distribution of 30 tool 

 distributed a pamphlet on Forest Plant- boxes containing fire-fighting tools at 

 ing. In conjunction with the Forest inaccessible points; the construction of 

 Service he has completed a report on 60 miles of telephone line ; the cutting 

 the woodworking industries of our out of 29 miles of trails ; the making of 

 State, which will shortly come from the 12 contour maps for the mountain look- 

 press. He has completed five maps of out stations, and the appointment of 

 the four fire districts into which the 224 regular and 400 deputy fire wardens 

 State is divided, for the use of the serv- in the towns of the State. 

 ice. He has made a complete map of A renewal of the Federal assistance 

 the railroads rights-of-way throughout under the Weeks law was obtained of 

 the State, showing the character of the $8,000, an increase of $800 over the 

 growth on each side in reference to the amount obtained last year, 

 danger from ignition by sparks from At the close of last year's fire season 

 locomotives. It is interesting to note a little over one thousand fires had been 

 that this map shows that only ibout reported on blanks furnished the fire 

 half of the 1,085 miles of railroads wardens for this purpose, of which 133 

 within the State, or 456 miles, run were apprehended by mountain look- 

 through woodland, and has proved of outs. The majority of these fires were 

 much service in narrowing down and extinguished in their incipiency, the few 

 locating the points at which fire has which got away burning over forty-two 

 and will most frequently occur, and thousand acres. The wooded area of 

 shows the necessary points at which the State being reckoned at four mil- 

 ditching outside could be most advan- lion acres, the resulting burned area 

 tageously done. amounted to about 1%, if the land 



The State Forester has given thirty burned over was a fair average in value 



lectures and five fair exhibitions. To- of the whole ; this in a year which was 



gether with the members of the Forestry decidedly unfavorable throughout the 



Commission and j\Ir. F. H. Billard, bov- country. The proportionate area burned 



ester of the New Hampshire Timberland in the northern part of the State where 



Owners' Association, nine warden con- the best patrol had been established was 



ferences have been held, with an aver- 7-10 of 1%, while the proportionate 



age attendance of fifteen, at which the area in the southern part of the State 



laws were explained and the needs of was 1 3-10%, showing the efficiency 



the dift'erent sections discussed, and co- directly attributable to additional patrol 



operation encouraged between neighbor- and watchfulness. Even with the fires 



ing towns. The services of the Boy confined to this small percentage of the 



Scouts of New Hampshire have been area, the whole damage reported 



obtained through the offer by the Tor- through the State was on this 1% of 



estry Commission of two gold, three the total area, $206,000. About $38,000 



silver, and five bronze medals for as- was spent last year from all sources 



sistance in the apprehension and ex- representing the State, the towns, the 



tinguishment of fire, through such rules timberland owners and the Federal Gov- 



and regulations as have been found safe ernment, or an insurance premium paid, 



and practical in other parts of the coun- we will say, of about 1-5 of 1%, so that 



try ; the committee of award to be com- we are led to believe that if a few 



posed of the Governor, the Chief of the thousand dollars more were spent in 



Boy Scouts, and the State Forester. protection it would yield immense re- 



An organization for fire protection turns in the saving of even a portion of 



has been perfected with the active this v$206.000. Co-operation has been 



