Methods of Fire Protection. i\9 



Similar belts of trees might be used in the protection of siigar- 

 icane areas or where there is great danger of veld fires being caused 

 by sparks from railway engines. Where it is impracticable to plant 

 trees through veld areas, rectangular patches may be made, and the 

 litter from the paths thrown into these patches and burnt off when 

 convenient. 



Dry grass and bush growth on the sides of the railway line are 

 often set on fire, and in order to check this fire from doing serious 

 damage, a strip about a yard wide should be cleared in addition and 

 running parallel to the 4-feet strip bordering the plantation. 



The ground covering of dry inflammable material in 



The Safety Belt 



•should l>e removed. All dry branches, tufts of grass, heath, etc., 

 should be cleared, and the trees — except the row of trees nearest to 

 the railway line — shoidd be pruned up to about 4 feet. The green 

 branches on the borders of the belt should be retained down to the 

 earth as far as possible. The closer the screen nearest to the railwaj^ 

 track, the better does the protection belt fulfil its function of catch- 

 ing the flying sparks and of stopping them from flying over into the 

 plantation. To attain this object, the arrangement of the trees in 

 the safety belt must be continuous, without any great gaps. The 

 trees should not be planted too closely, for the flames rise higher 

 hetween close-standing stems than between those standing further 

 apart: moreover, the crowns of the former do not develop so well. 



As the trees in old plantations are wider apart than in young 

 plantations, and because high trees may be a menace to the railwaj^ 

 track and to telegraph wires, it is advisable to choose a short rotation 

 for the protection belt. In settling this rotation, the purpose of the 

 protection belt should first be considered. The question of the yield 

 of timber is of secondary importance. The protection belt only 

 becomes effective when it has reached a height equal to that of the 

 smoke stack of the railway engine, and owing to the danger from 

 sparks being carried by the wind, the protection belt should not be 

 cut over on both sides of the line at the same time, but should, on 

 one side at least, consist of high forest. Neither should the planta- 

 tion behind the shelter belt be cut down and restocked so long as 

 the protection belt in front of it is still so low that it cannot check 

 the flying sparks successfully. 



If it is impossible to avoid having a dangerous young growth 

 behind an insufficiently soft protection belt, as in newly afforested 

 areas, a second protection belt, similar to the first, should be laid 

 down and maintained until the first belt can undertake the work 

 of protection. 



The danger is least where the railway runs through cuttings, so 

 that the height of the smoke stack is less than that of the banks. In 

 this case, only the strip, a yard wide, between the railway bank and 

 the wood is necessary, but unless the cutting extends for some con- 

 siderable distance it would be advisable to lay out the 15-yard broad 

 shelter belts. 



The danger is greatest .)ii llie convex side of curves, but if 

 the protection growth is sufficiently close to form an eft'ective screen, 

 no damage Avill be done, for the sparks cannot form a direct kindling 

 of tlie free crowns. 



