154 PRINCIPLES OF AMERICAN FORESTRY. 



be taken to save seeding trees. The cost of such work 

 has been urged against it, but this has often been over- 

 estimated, and it seems evident that it is entirely prac- 

 ticable. 



The Methods of Fighting Surface Fires are various, 

 and their use depends on the conditions under which 

 the work must be done. Where possible, the ploughing 

 of a firebreak a rod or more wide is most satisfactory, 

 but this is seldom practicable within our wooded areas. 

 Back Firing is generally the most successful method of 

 making a firebreak. When this is to be practised, a con- 

 venient place to fight fire should be chosen, at some dis- 

 tance ahead of the main fire, where the back fire 

 should be started, after every precaution has been taken 

 to prevent its getting beyond control. Where a supply 

 of water can be obtained, surface fires can be most easily 

 put out by applying it through a common sprinkling- 

 pot with a good rose sprinkler on it. This is especially 

 effective where fire is running through grass, and those 

 who have never tried it will generally be surprised at 

 the effectiveness of this method. Where the fire is burn- 

 ing in several inches of dry leaves, a small strip should 

 be cleaned of them before applying the water. Gunny 

 sacks or similar material wet in water make very effective 

 weapons with which to fight fire. Where the soil is sandy, 

 sand is often the best material obtainable for putting 

 out fires. 



Underground Fires, such as occur in bogs and other 

 soils containing a large amount of organic matter, when 

 once started, are often very hard to subdue, owing to their 

 great depth, and, where not looked after, sometimes burn 

 for a year or more unless we have very heavy rains. They 

 often cause great injury by burning out all organic mat- 

 ter from the soil and leaving it in poor shape for crops, 

 though a rather severe but not excessive firing of bogs 



