13 



was located at the slaughterhouse about 1J miles from McCloud. 

 These tool stations were boxes or chests provided with locks, and 

 large enough to contain the 6 long-handled shovels, 2 axes, and 2 

 iron rakes with which each was provided. Their cost, including 

 tools, was $10 apiece. 



TELEPHONE LINES. 



A telephone line provided with frequent call boxes follows the 

 railroad which crosses the tract, and a private line connects McCloud 

 with the slaughterhouse. It was necessary, therefore, to construct 

 a line only 3 miles in length to the tool station in the northern part 

 of the protection area. Old poles near at hand were used in the 

 construction, so that the cost was but $15 per mile. Had entirely 

 new equipment been necessary, the cost would probably have been 

 in the neighborhood of $50 per mile. 



TOTAL COST OF PROTECTION. 



The actual total cost of protection for the first year was as follows : 



Burning 15 miles of fire line, at $15 $225 



Patiolman for 4 months, at $75 per month 300 



Three tool stations and tools, at $10 30 



Constructing 3 miles of telephone line, at $15 per mile 45 



^ Total 600 



Based upon the 15,000 experimental acres the cost would be 4 

 cents per acre. The area actually protected, however, was much 

 larger. The patrol covered about 70,000 acres and thus cost less 

 than one-half cent per acre. The telephone lines and tool stations 

 were for the protection of the same area, which would raise the cost 

 to a trifle over one-half cent per acre. The fire lines covered approxi- 

 mately 15,000 acres, at a cost of 1 J cents per acre, which makes the 

 total cost of protection for the first year 2 cents per acre. This 

 includes the initial cost for fire lines, tool stations, etc., which will 

 not be chargeable in future years. 



ADDITIONAL MEASURES. 



Besides the actual protection of the tract, experiments in slash 

 burning were carried on, with the object of determining the practi- 

 cability of disposing of the slash in this manner. In slash burning 

 the greatest drawback, on account of its expense, is piling. At 

 McCloud this was not necessary, since the method of logging, as 

 already mentioned, leaves the slash in piles, which can be burned 

 without much additional work and without injury to the remaining 

 trees or to young growth. To make this doubly sure, however, all 

 logging crews were instructed to use special care in felling and swamp- 

 ing;. With this done the slash was burned without additional piling. 

 Burning took place after the first fall rain, when there was little 

 danger of fire spreading. 



Three crews, one from each camp, with 15 men in a crew, and each 



[Cir. 79.] 



