BURNING OF DEAD AND DOWN TREES 511 



5. The forests in and around recreational areas can be made safer 

 and more sightly by the elimination of dead trecN. 



6. One of the regular jobs that the forest ranger has to do is to 

 remove fallen trees from across roads and trails. Instead of having 

 to pack an unwieldly saw, ax, and wedges for miles on horseback or 

 by packhorse, he can carry an auger with him. Whenever a tree is 

 encountered across the trail all he would have to do would be to bore 

 two sets of two holes each at each end of the desired length, set fire 

 to them and go on to others. Upon his return the road or trail would 

 be clear or merely partially burned logs to be rolled out of the way. 

 Dead trees standing along the trail or road can be burned at the same 

 time, thus removing trees that may fall in the future. 



It is needless to say that all of the activities mentioned above should 

 only be done at favorable times, when the fire danger is absent. 



The apparent success of this experiment opens up prospects which 

 indicate that greater possibilities may be realized by its extension into 

 a very important work. The application of burning as a snag disposal 

 measure does not appear to confine itself to the coniferous forests of 

 the West, for the April, 1918, number of the Journal of Forestry 

 (page 479) contains an account of an experiment in burning old hard- 

 wood stubs in New York with the aid of gasoline. Birch, beech, and 

 maple were successfully burned. 



Experiments in other types and with other species, carried on in more 

 difficult topography are necessary to justify the general use of the 

 principle. The method offers promise of success, and it is to be 

 hoped that large scale experiments will develop it. 



