244 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



The fire loss in the National Forests during 1916 was only 

 $163,385, covering nearly 300,000 acres, the smallest loss since the 

 establishment of these Forests, the season being specially favorable, 

 except in Colorado and Wyoming. It is significant that 44 per cent 

 of the area burned was located in Arkansas and Florida. 



Of the 5,655 fires, 73 per cent were confined to areas of less than 

 ten acres. Lightning was responsible for as much as 23 per cent of 

 the fires. The average cost of fighting fires was approximately half 

 that of former years. 



Under new legislation forest fire wardens in New Jersey take 

 office this year for a three-year term instead of for a single year as 

 heretofore. This refers to fire service with 350 local wardens serving 

 150 townships or other municipalities. The total number of fires in 

 the last year was 583, little more than half as many as in the previous 

 year. And of these 583 fires, 54 per cent were not allowed to burn 

 five acres. Further, aside from woodlands the fire wardens and their 

 helpers saved over $200,000 worth of property from fire. 



According to a canvass made by the United States Forest Service 

 as regards frequency of lightning strokes experienced the following 

 sequence of species is given, based on 2,000 trees. The most fre- 

 quently struck species is chestnut, then follows pitch pine, rock oak, 

 white pine, hemlock, red oak, white oak, black oak, locust, sugar maple. 



The bureau of industrial research of the University of Wash- 

 ington has recently concluded an investigation of the influence of a 

 creosoted pipe line upon drinking water which passed through it. 

 The tests showed in an experimental pipe line, which had been in 

 use for twenty-nine days, that no taste whatever could be noticed 

 in undiluted water passing through it. This experiment is of much 

 value in that a pipe line of creosoted staves will last longer than a.' 

 steel pipe and cost about one-half as much. The city of Seattle is 

 considering the construction of such a pipe line to carry drinking 

 water to the central distributing plant. 



Tests at the Forest Products Laboratory, at Madison. Wisconsin, 

 indicate that by the use of four additional nails in each end an 

 increase of 300 per cent in the strength of canned-food boxes is 

 secured. 



