438 Forestry Quarterly. 



the table brings up a considerable number of questions. A good 

 torch is one which does its work as cheaply as possible ; it should 

 also be light, durable and convenient to handle, and should not 

 leak. It should burn as little oil as possible, and still throw a 

 flame of the size desired. Further, it should be able to reach to 

 a greater or less degree to the inside of the pile, and the cost of 

 the torch itself should be taken into consideration. I have found 

 that temporary laborers are sometimes inclined to put the torch in 

 the pile and leave it." 



Mr, Moore: We heard from the Forester some time ago that 

 there was a standard torch on requisition at Ogden, but the 

 Property Clerk informs me that this was not a standard torch and 

 that it had been decided to purchase torches locally. (Committee 

 appointed to report on the selection of a proper torch at the end 

 of meeting.) There is one point in connection with the brush 

 burning business that we have not gone into very much ; that is 

 the question as to whether the brush burning on the forest should 

 be handled by the regular ranger force or whether we must con- 

 sider the employment of temporary men. 



Mr. Lovejoy replied: I believe that matter is entirely dependent 

 on local conditions, and that in many cases it is impossible for the 

 local force to make any showing with the amount of brush there 

 is on the ground, and it is evidently necessary in such cases to 

 hire outside help. In cases where the sales are small, and the 

 local rangers can handle the work, they should do it. 



Mr. Imes said : I think it would cost but little more to have the 

 Forest officers burn the brush. I can get guards at $75 a month 

 who will do better work than the average laborer, and who also 

 have a certain interest in their work. The only objection that 

 I find to this plan is that I do not have sufficient salary allotment 

 for brush burning. 



Supervisor Morrill said that he believed in lopping and scatter- 

 ing the brush in the majority of sales on the Rio Grande Forest. 

 The danger from fires was remote there, judging from the record 

 in the past five years, and it is thought that the benefit to be 

 derived from soil improvement due to decaying leaves and twigs 

 outweighed, locally, the danger from fire incurred by leaving the 

 slash on the ground. Engelmann spruce is the principal timber 

 cut on the Rio Grande Forest, and the moisture conditions miti- 

 gate against forest fires. However, as a precautionary measure,. 



