FOREST FIRES. 47 



hills are most numerous in thin soils ; and are chiefly produced by 

 the coniferous trees, and especially by the hemlock spruce. There is 

 usually little underwood in the original forest; mosses, lycopodia, 

 ferns, and a few herbaceous flowering plants, however, flourish 

 beneath the shade of the woods. 



The woods perish by the axe and by fire, either purposely applied 

 for their destruction or accidental. Forest fires have not been con- 

 fined to the period of European occupation. The traditions of the 

 Indians tell of extensive ancient conflagrations ; and it is believed 

 that some of the aboriginal names of places in Nova Scotia, for 

 example, Chebucto, Chedabucto, Pictou, originated in these events. 

 In later times, however, fires have been more numerous and destruc- 

 tive. In clearing land, the trees when cut down are always burned ; 

 and, that this may be effected as completely as possible, the driest 

 weather is frequently selected, although the fire is then much more likely 

 to spread into the surrounding woods. It frequently happens that 

 the woods contain large quantities of dry branches and tops of trees, 

 left by cutters of timber and firewood, who rarely consider any part 

 of the tree except the trunk worthy of their attention. Even without 

 this preparation, however, the woods may in dry weather be easily 

 inflamed ; for although the trunks and foliage of growing trees are 

 not very combustible, the mossy vegetable soil, much resembling 

 peat, burns easily and rapidly. Upon this mossy soil depends, in 

 a great measure, the propagation of fires, the only exception being 

 when the burning of groves of the resinous coniferous trees is assisted 

 by winds, causing the flame to stream through their tops more 

 rapidly than it can pass along the ground. In such cases some 

 of the grandest appearances ever shown by forest fires occur. The 

 fire, spreading for a time along the ground, suddenly rushes up the 

 tall resinous trees with a loud crashing report, and streams far beyond 

 their summits, in columns and streamers of lurid flame. It frequently 

 happens, however, that in wet or swampy ground, where the fire 

 cannot spread around their roots, even the resinous trees refuse to 

 burn ; and thus swampy tracts are comparatively secure from fire. 

 In addition to the causes of the progress of fires above referred to, 

 it is probable that at a certain stage of the growth of forests, when 

 the trees have attained to great ages, and are beginning to decay, 

 they are more readily destroyed by accidental conflagrations. In 

 this condition the trees are often much moss-grown, and have much 

 dead and dry wood ; and it is probable that we should regard fires 

 arising from natural or accidental causes as the ordinary and appro- 

 priate agents for the removal of such worn-out forests. 



