REPORT. 



The work of the department for the past two years has dif- 

 fered but little from that outlined in the rej^ort of 1804. 



In order that everybody, visitor as well as resident, might 

 be familiar with our forestry laws, ''■Fire notices" giving 

 extracts from the law have been posted beside nearly every 

 lake, stream and woods-road in the State, frequented by 

 sportsmen and tourists, as well as in hotels, railroad depots 

 and other public places. In most instances the wild land 

 proprietors have attended to the work of posting these notices 

 and we have supplemented their work by very numerous let- 

 ters and personal appeals, urging fire wardens to attend to 

 their duties, guides and woodsmen to be especially careful 

 to guard against fires, and railroad companies to conform 

 with the law requiring them to clear their right of way of 

 brush, grass and other inflammable material at least once a 

 year and also to use the most approved appliances on their 

 locomotives to prevent scattering fires. 



The great necessity of extinguishing camp fires and other- 

 wise oruardinof ajrainst forest fires, I hardly think was ever 

 fully appreciated until the attention of the people was called 

 to the fact by means of these fire notices, but as we now find 

 they are generally disposed to observe the law in this respect, 

 after having it called to their attention, we can but believe that 

 the notices have served their purpose and done a great 

 amount of ij-ood. 



The season of 1895 was exceeding!}' dry and very numer- 

 ous small forest fires occurred, but, although everyone feared 



