200 



Canadian Forestry Journal, May, 1919 



HOMING PIGEONS FOR REPORTING FIRES 



The Standardization Committee of the Cana- 

 dian Forestry Ascociation has under considera- 

 tion the employment of pigeons to be used in 

 nrrying fire r'^Dorts from the fiel:1 to ranger 

 stations. Full information on the subject 

 is being obtained and a bulletin will shortly be 

 issued on the subject which will be available 

 to all interested. It is also hoped to have ex- 

 perimental work carried on during the present 

 year. 



The Dommion Parks Branch have recently 

 been in communication with Mr. P. F. Edieman, 

 electr'cal engineer, New York, and Commission- 

 er J. B. Harkin in transmitting an extract from 

 a letter received from Mr. Edieman, has the fol- 

 lowing remarks to make: 



"Mr. Edieman recently wrote me suggesting 



.that as homing pigeons had proved so effective 



in the recerit war, that there appears to be no 



reason why they should not be adopted for 



forect fire protecton work. 



First Step in "Wireless." 

 "While I think \vireless telegraphy or tele- 

 phones will eventually be adopted for communi- 

 cation in connection with forest fire protection, 

 it strikes me that in the meantime the use of 

 pigeons would offer a simple and cheap means 

 of communication between points at present 

 without other means of communication. At- 

 tached hereto is an extract from Mr. Edieman's 

 letter explaining his scheme: 



"I propose simply to set up one or more 

 homing pigeon stations or nests. Two birds will 

 be earned by each ranger and when he needs 

 help he will release one, then ten minutes later 

 the other with message. The birds fly at once 

 to headquarters to which they have been trained, 

 at about fifty miles per hour, and as proven 

 under far more difficult battlefield conditions 

 than are ever likely to be met with in your 

 parks, are 98 per cent perfect. The birds can 

 stand the most severe weather without harm. 

 In this country young birds cost under $10 each 

 a-^d trained birds, gcod ones, about $25 each. 

 They live about 14 years. An ingenious system 

 of working has been developed, so that abso- 

 lutely reliable results are obtainable. No spe- 

 cial experts are required, except one man to 

 look after the whole system in a given area, as 

 he can readily train in the men sufficiently to 

 handle things right. The men will carry the 

 birds on a special holder lightly strapped to 

 their backs or other suitable manner. The up- 



keen is insignificent, as the food for a bird for 

 a whole year costs only about $2.00 or under 

 20 cents monthly. The birds are clean and 

 healthy and will be treated as pets by your 

 men, especally as they come to know their 

 value. 



"I realize that every new plan is likely to 

 be doubted, but here is one so evident that as 

 soon as unimpeachable and most up-to-date 

 correct data came to my attention I at once 

 remembered your problems and communicated 

 the result to you. 



Returned Men Available. 



"I would recommend that one man, who is a 

 pigeon expert be hired to look after the entire 

 system and teach your other man the essentials, 

 as they can learn them far easier than they 

 could learn a telegraph code or the handling 

 of a telephone system. This man should pre- 

 ferably be a returned soldier, who has been with 

 the army homing pigeon service and previously 

 handled pigeons as a hobby, as it takes a 

 good man to make the plan a success. Such 

 a man would gladly work for a nominal fair 

 stipend and welcome the opportunity. It makes 

 no difference as long as a good pigeon man 

 who is wide-awake is put in charge of the sys- 

 tem. The b'.rds are kept in trim by continued 

 practice from time to time. 



OUR DOMINION PARKS. 



The Dom.'nion parks of Canada, which are 

 maintained as wild-life sanctuaries, include an 

 area of 7,927 square miles, or more than 5,- 

 000,000 acres, nearly equal to one-half the total 

 area of Switzerland, almost as large as Bel- 

 gium, and nearly 1 ,000 square miles greater 

 than the area of Wales. Jasper Park alone, 

 which includes 4,400 square miles, is larger than 

 Montenegro and almost twice the size of Prince 

 Edward Island. 



FROM A NOTED FORESTER. 



"Allow me to congratulate your Canadian 

 Forestry Association on the extraordinary pro- 

 gress it has made during the war, and the im- 

 provement in your Journal. You have no doubt 

 heard of the almost startling advance that has 

 been made in forestry in Australia during the 

 war period. 



Very truly yours, 



D. E. HUTCHINS. 



Wellington, N.Z. 



