12 



and yet the forest was not too dry for safety. In accordance with 

 the plan, they followed the wagon roads, tramroads, and spurs, 

 though it was not found necessary to construct lines along all of these. 

 Where the slash was heaviest and the danger from fire greatest, the 

 compartments or segregated areas were made smaller than where 

 the danger was less. The lines varied in width from 200 to 400 feet 

 for the same reasons. The fire line along the railroad track now in 

 use was made 400 feet wide, since here the danger from sparks is 

 great. Where the slash and chaparral were not abundant, lines 200 

 feet in width were sufficient. To clear the lines, the men were divided 

 into small crews of 6 or 12, under the supervision of a responsible man. 

 Each crew was divided into two groups, one on each side of the road 

 or spur. One or two men from each group preceded the rest to gather 

 the tops and debris together in piles. The rest of the crew followed, 

 setting fire to the piles of brush and debris, firing back from the outer 

 edges of the fire line toward the center, and taking precaution not to 

 let the fire spread beyond the boundaries of the fire line. 



Piling the debris is not, as a rule, necessary, since the slash on" the 

 logged lands is usually bunched. This is due to the logging method 

 in use. The level country permits the use of logging wheels, and, to 

 give space for operating these, the slash has to be removed from 

 around the felled trees. This results in throwing the slash together 

 sufficiently for burning. 



Fifteen miles of fire line were burned in 1905 in the above manner, 

 at an average cost of $15 per mile. These 15 miles afford protection 

 to about 15,000 acres of cut-over land, at a cost of 1 J cents per acre. 



THE PATROL. 



A patrol route was laid out at the beginning of the season of 1905. 

 This route was 25 miles in length and practically encircled the experi- 

 mental area. It passed through those parts of the tract where fire 

 danger is greatest, in places following the fire lines, but usually 

 skirting the higher elevations. 



A mounted patrolman covered the route daily for the four months 

 of greatest fire danger, from June to September, inclusive. It was 

 found that he could in this way look after 70,000 acres. He was 

 given authority to employ and organize crews for fire fighting, and 

 had, in short, direct control of the fire protection. The cost of the 

 patrol, including maintenance of a horse, was $75 per month $300 

 for the season. This made the cost per acre but one-half cent. 



TOOL STATIONS. 



Three tool stations were located on the tract. Two of these were 

 on the patrol route, in places where fire was most likely to occur, and 

 where they would be quickly accessible in an emergency; the third 



[Cir. 79.] 



