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by contiguous forests of Scotch Pine, a highly resinous species. 

 The ground is level, sandy, and easily ploughed. 



But in our Adirondack forests we have entirely different and more 

 dangerous conditions. The forests along the railroad lines, owing 

 to their accessibility, have all been lumbered recently, and the ground 

 is covered, waist deep, with dead tree tops, limbs, and dry brush. 

 When a surface fire starts at the railroad track and reaches this 

 mass of tinder a furious conflagration ensues, which can be extin- 

 guished only by the most arduous work, and at great expense. It 

 is useless to talk about ploughing along our railroad lines as done in 

 Germany. Any one who has traveled over the line of the Adiron- 

 dack divisions and noted the topography will readily understand the 

 difficulties of attempting such a method. In place of the level, sandy 

 soil, so often found in European forests, there is a rocky, uneven 

 surface interspersed with stumps. The right of way presents a 

 succession of steep knolls and depressions; and even if the stumps 

 were grubbed out by the roots, the broken rock, which crops out 

 everywhere, renders plowing impracticable. 



Furthermore, it is doubtful whether any law could be passed, even 

 if it were constitutional, that would enable the State to dictate to 

 the lumbermen as to how they should conduct their business on 

 private lands. The lumberman cannot convert his tops and limbs 

 into money, as is the case in Germany; neither do we have the 

 peasantry who would go into the woods afterwards and clean up 

 every faggot and little twig. The time will undoubtedly come when, 

 with a scarcity of wood and higher prices, our forests will be ex- 

 ploited in as safe and intelligent a manner as abroad. But, until 

 then, we must recognize existing conditions, and in our forest 

 management modify them as best we can. Any talk about European 

 forestry with reference to our railroad fires is therefore a waste of 



