82 FOREST PROTECTION 



The best time to fight fire is at night or as soon as the dew falls 

 and humidity in the atmosphere rises. Between midnight and sunrise 

 is generally the most effective time, especially in dense, heavy conif- 

 erous timber of the Northwest, Northeast, and Lake States. 



7. SOUTHERN FOREST FIRE PROBLEM* 



The southern pine forests present an outstanding feature of the 

 fire problem. For many generations it has been the custom pur- 

 posely to burn over the woods in the South every winter. This was 

 done to remove the litter, dead grass, and herbaceous vegetation dur- 

 ing late winter and early spring, so that new grass would be more 

 readily available as forage for cattle. Dense reproduction and brush 

 lessen the value of the land for grazing, and burning was considered 

 helpful in retarding or eliminating this undergrowth. Some areas were 

 purposely burned to protect fences, farm buildings, and turpentine 

 orchards from accidental fires. 



For a recent five-year period figures issued by Demmon indicate 

 that 75% of the fires reported in the United States occurred in the 

 eleven southern states and that more than 90% of the total area esti- 

 mated to have been burned over was included in these states. The 

 frequency of fires in the South since the days of first settlement has 

 been due partly to the high inflammability of the surface vegetation 

 during the winter months. Surface fires, however, may burn during 

 any month of the year. In very dry periods, surface fires spread 

 with great rapidity, and occasionally crown fires develop. The usual 

 surface fires seldom exceed a height of 3 to 5 feet. 



Recently, after extended experiments and many studies, the atti- 

 tude of several foresters has changed with respect to attempts to 

 exclude all fires in the South. Demmon states that controlled burn- 

 ing may be used for specific silvicultural and forest management pur- 

 poses by preparing the seedbed so as to secure initial stocking of 

 longleaf pine seedlings. Fires may assist longleaf pine seedlings by 

 controlling the brown-spot needle disease, by discouraging competing 

 vegetation, and by reducing excess fire hazards and occasionally 

 serious loss by accidental fires. Incidentally fires may improve the 

 longleaf pine pasture and conditions for game. The use of fire in the 

 management of southern pine forests requires great judgment and 

 skill and a knowledge of when and how to burn for specific purposes. 



*For a recent discussion of the southern forest fire problem see articles by 

 Demmon, Hardtner, Wahlenberger, Greene, Eldredge, and Stoddard in the 

 Journal of Forestry, Washington, D. C., March, 1935. 



