FOREST COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. 13 



with the large increase of tourists and hunters I am pleased 

 to be able to report no heavy fires and the number of smaller 

 ones, less than in former years and confined to smaller areas. 



The danger exists, however, especially in the vicinit}^ of 

 railroad lines passing through forest lands, and in my judg- 

 ment it will only be by seeing that the law is carefully 

 observed that we shall be able to escape for any length of 

 time a disastrous fire. 



The railroad companies as a rule, show but little disposi- 

 tion to observe the spirit of the law — yet for their individual 

 interests some care is shown in order to avoid their own 

 liability. 



Aside from the Maine Central, no railroad company of 

 the State, over \v'hich I have traveled, have their right of 

 way properly cleared of inflammable materials, but we have 

 assurance that considerable work of this kind will l)e done 

 another season. 



From a partial investigation of the effect of a heavy forest 

 fire it is learned that, in some localities, it will take at least 

 three hundred years to even prepare a new soil suitable to 

 grow another forest upon, and even where the soil is not 

 destroyed the length of time required to produce a forest like 

 the original is much greater than is commonly supposed. 



The previous report from this department reviewed the 

 disastrous effects of such fires to some extent and cited some 

 pertinent fjicts but if volumes were written upon the subject, 

 they could hardly picture all the evils following in the wake 

 of an extensive forest fire in our State. 



In closing I will quote from the report of Mr. Packard, 

 "that the protection of our forests from fires is the first, great 

 and important duty of the State towards our wild lands." 



At the same time the suggestion to be found in Mr. Gary's 

 article in this report should be carefully followed. 



At present it is all a matter of guess work among the lum- 

 ber land owners, the parties directly interested, as to the best 

 methods of maintaining our forest resources and at the same 



