EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS ]51 



The railroad companies are required to use efficieut spark arresters on all their 

 engines and to keep their right of way, for fifty feet each side of the center, clear 

 of all combustible material, between the fifteenth day of April and the first day of 

 December. Deposits of fire, live coals or hot ashes are forbidden in the immediate 

 vicinity of woodlands, and trainmen are required to report fires discovered along 

 the line at the next telegraph station they may pass. The railroad companies are 

 required to instruct their employees in the means for preventing and extinguishing 

 fires and to post the warning placards furnished by the forest commissioner in their 

 stations in the vicinity of forest and prairie grass lands. "Where a fire occurs along 

 the line of their road they shall concentrate such help and adopt such measures as 

 sliall be available to effectively extinguish it." 



The railroad company violating the requirements of the act is punished by a fine 

 not exceeding a hundred dollars for each offense, the railroad employee violating 

 the law is deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and is punished by a fine of not less 

 than five dollars nor more than fifty. 



It is made the duty of every owner of a threshing or portable steam engine to use 

 efficient spark arresters and to put out or cover with three inches of earth any live 

 coals or ashes which they shall deposit in any place from the engine. 



The Forest Commissioner is required to make a written report to the Governor 

 of his proceedings under this act annually, which report shall include such statistics 

 and facts as he has obtained from the chief fire warden and other sources, with 

 suggestions for the preservation of forests and the prevention and extinguishment 

 of forest and prairie fires. 



In the legislative session of 1S9T, in Minnesota, an important bill was introduced, 

 passing the house but failing in the senate. Its purpose was to encourage the grow- 

 ing and preservation of forests and forest reserve areas. Among the novel features 

 of the bill was a section providing that any person or corporation being the owner 

 of any tract of land partly cut over or entirely so, which, however, would not 

 probably be utilized for agricultural purposes for many years, might deed the same 

 to the State of Minnesota, if in the judgment of the State Forestry Board the land 

 should be received for forestry purposes. Lands deemed necessary for the preserva- 

 tion of water courses are specially mentioned in the act as tracts to be thus ac- 

 cepted. Provision was made for the distribution of the revenues accruing from 

 such land, two-thirds to be paid to such public educational institution as the grantor 

 in the deed might designate. 



The Wisconsin law Is similar in general character to tlie Minnesota law, except 

 that the chief clerk of the State Land Office and his deputy are made State Forest 

 Warden and Deputy Forest Warden, respectively, Avithout additional salary. 



The Maine laws make the State Land Agent the Forest Commissioner. The 

 selectmen of towns are made fire wardens. Anyone who neglects to extinguish a 

 camp fire is liable to a fine not exceeding $100, or imprisonment in the county jail 

 one mouth, or both. Railroad companies are required to burn or cut and remove 

 all grass and debris from tlie right of way once a year, to use spark arresters OQ 

 their locomotives, to refrain from depositing live coals, fire or ashes on their track, 

 and to report fires along the right of way at their next telegraph station. 



The Forest Commissioner encourages interest in forestry in the public schools 

 and publishes circulars of information as to the care of woodlands. 



Pennsylvania has a law, passed in 1S95, and approved by the Governor, Marcli 

 13, of that year, creating a Department of Agrlcvdture, and charging it with the 

 duty of caring for tlie forestry interests of the State. Section 3, of the law reads 

 as follows: 



Sec. 3. "That it shall be the duty of the Secretary to obtain and publish informa- 

 tion respecting the extent and condition of the forest lands In this State, to make 

 and carry out rules and regulations for the enforcement of all laws designed to pro- 

 tect forests from fires, and from all illegal depredations and destruction, and report 

 the same annually to the Governor, and as far as practicable, to give information 

 and advice respecting the best methods of preserving woodland and starting new 

 plantations. He shall also, as far as practicable, procure statistics of the amount of 

 timber cut dui'ing each year, the purposes for which it is used and the amount of 

 timber land thus cleared as compared with the amount of land newly brought under 

 limber cultivation, and sliall in general adopt all such measures as. In his judgment, 

 may be desirable and effctive, for the preservation and increase of the timber lands, 

 and shall have direct charge and control of the management of the forest lands 

 belonging to the commonwealth, subject to the provisions of the law relative 

 thereto." 



