REPORT ON FORESTS. 99 



measures to prevent fires. The remainder of the pine district is 

 gradually but very steadily being broken up into small parcels 

 by clearings, in such a way that fires will, in time, cease to be of 

 very great importance. The tendency to clear up and bring 

 under cultivation the better soils of the pine belt must be 

 regarded as fortunate from every point of view. These better 

 soils will produce more under cultivation than they possibly 

 could in forest, and the breaking-up of this great belt of timber 

 into sections will make it easier to deal with fires. There is an 

 unfortunate prevalence of fires from carelessness about the clear- 

 ings, but there seems to be existing legislation enough to deal 

 with this question if the laws are enforced. 



The importance of preserving some belts of timber throughout 

 this ground that is being cleared up should be emphasized, how- 

 ever. They will be very valuable as wind-breaks, and it is quite 

 possible that there will be a material change in the mildness of 

 the climate of this section unless a reasonable amount of timber 

 is preserved. The importance of leaving a good belt of timber 

 along the streams is especially great. This needs to be done ? 

 especially in the case of the Great Egg Harbor and Maurice 

 rivers, as it is on these water-sheds that most of the clearing is 

 being done. The better soils here are usually on the higher 

 ground, so that there should be little opposition to preserving 

 the forests near the streams. These streams are now developed 

 to an important extent for water power, and are likely to be still 

 further developed in this direction. They have also a possible 

 future value for water-supply, and the preservation of such bor- 

 dering belts of timber would be a valuable safeguard in main- 

 taining their purity. At least 75 per cent, of their water-sheds 

 can be cleared and brought under cultivation without seriously 

 endangering the streams, because of peculiarities which were 

 pointed out in the Report on Water-Supply. The primary 

 reason is that the rain falling upon the sand and gravel soil sinks 

 at once into the ground and thence finds its way gradually to the 

 stream lines. To appreciate the great difference in this respect 

 from the red sandstone or Highlands district of northern New 

 Jersey it is only necessary to compare the topographical maps of 

 the two sections. In the north there will be observed a very 



