932 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



by the average mill, and that such small trees left after logging, which 

 were found to be mostl\' culls and runts of the virgin stand, and prob- 

 ably as old as the logged trees, averaging 8 inches d. b. h. in 1900, had 

 by 191 7 grown to 12 inches average. The volume per acre, there being 

 about 8 trees left on the average, had grown from 226 board feet to 

 803 board feet, or 15 per cent! — convincing proof that conservative log- 

 ging pays, at least in the southern pines. 



The Urania Lumber Company is benefiting from this knowledge by 

 cutting to 8 inch, and is logging with a steam skidder with a system of 

 skidding lanes, as described by the reviewer at least 20 years ago. An- 

 other, the Great Southern Lumber Company, is also co-operating with 

 the department in fire protection, employing a technical forester, and 

 proposes systematic regeneration and reforestation. 



Considerable space is given to the discussions of the cut-over land 

 conference held at New Orleans in April, 191 7. The very rational 

 proposition is made that land classification is the first basis for inaugu- 

 rating a land-settlement policy ; it is pointed out that stock-ranching is 

 not a poor man's game, but requires capital, since tlie piny woods range 

 is not a year-round range. 



In the report, as well as in the bulletin, the usual arguments and data 

 regarding damage from forest fires are brought forward, each interest 

 involved being separately discussed, particular stress being laid on the 

 fact that even the light burning practiced so generally in the South is 

 detrimental to the range, killing out the better forage plants, and even 

 to timber, by gradually eating into and weakening trunks and causing 

 windfall. In a particular case a damage of $3.50 per acre from this 

 latter cause was figured. 



The fire loss in 191 7, which is admitted to have been the worst in 

 twenty years, is estimated at over $1,400,000 — equal to 2^ mills on 

 every dollar's worth of property in the State, or 4 mills on all property 

 outside of the urban parish of Orleans. This includes over one million 

 dollars' worth of mature timber. 



There appears to be no organized effort made to stop or diminish this 

 fire loss, except some feeble legislation imposing fines and imprisonment 

 for setting fires, or allowing them to escape, and obligation imposed on 

 railways to keep rights of way clear and to abstain from dumping coals. 

 In the absence of machinery to apply the law, it is probably rarely en- 

 forced. This, in a State w'here still at least 25 per cent of the fires are 

 of incendiary origin, is a sad commentary. 



The superintendent seems to rely at present mainly on educational 

 propaganda, but proposes to district the more endangered territory into 



