REMOVING GROWTH FROM FIRE LANES 

 By N. R. McNaughton^ 



In Forestry Quarterly, Volume XII, there appeared on page 

 472 a note on the use of a shrub called Mille pertuis as a non- 

 inflammable cover for the fire lanes in France. The note was 

 called to the attention of the writer, who was then conducting 

 experiments with the same end in view on the Karthaus State 

 Forest, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. 



Inquiry about this shrub was made at several of the large seed 

 houses, but replies were received from but two. Neither recog- 

 nized it as Mille pertuis. One replied that it is known as 

 Hypericum elegans in America, and that a small supply of seed 

 was available at $2 per ounce, but that it was doubtful if the 

 stock could be increased or the price lowered until after the war. 

 Under the circumstances, and in consideration of the small amount 

 of money available for experiment, none of the seed was used. 



Other experiments, however, no less interesting, have been 

 carried on on the Karthaus Forest, and although sufficient time 

 has not elapsed to make possible definite statements as to results, 

 it may not be amiss to give a rough outline of methods and 

 material used. 



The first experiments on this Forest were made with the idea 

 of finding some evergreen cover for fire lanes, similar to Mille 

 pertuis. To this end, in the early spring of 1914, six measured 

 strips of plowed fire lanes were thoroughly raked and sown to 

 white clover, red clover, crimson clover, buckwheat, timothy, and 

 pulverized rock salt. The idea in using buckwheat was to so 

 loosen and modify the soil that an evergreen could be success- 

 fully introduced the following year. 



In every case, except where rock salt was used, the experiment 

 was a total failure. This is not to be wondered at, and was 

 rather expected, since the lanes were exposed to glaring sunlight 

 all the time, absolutely no tree cover being present, and the soil 

 contained a large percentage of sand. Under these conditions, 

 probably the only preliminary treatment which will make pos- 



^Forester in charge, Karthaus State Forest, Pennsylvania. 

 270 



