Canadian Forestr]) Journal, October, 1919 



413 



the community be taken. This should locate 

 every existing shade tree, its size, species, gen- 

 eral condition, treatment suggested, and other 

 pertinent facts. 



We have already taken such a census of sev- 

 eral of the streets of Johnstown and these re- 

 cords are a permanent part of the shade tree 

 work. The census will be extended as rapidly 

 as possible, so that the whole city will be 

 covered. 



Professional Supervision. 



Probably nothing contributes to the success 

 of the work of a shade tree commission so much 

 as efficient professional supervision and it 

 should be the aim of our foresters so to equip 

 themselves by a course of study and reading 

 that they may be in a position to render this sort 

 of assistance. There are many pamphlets 

 and circulars to be obtained from the various 

 shade tree commissions and experiment stations 

 and there are many excellent books published 

 on the subject. With his broad knowledge of 

 trees, supplemented by specific data as to the 

 habits and behavior of trees under the adverse 

 conditions of street planting, he will soon be 

 equipped to render this service to the people. 



Shade tree forestry and the ability to render 

 assistance along this line is an important factor 

 in general forestry work and our foresters must 

 be prepared to meet these problems whenever 

 they arise. By so doing, they will be further- 

 ing the efforts of the Department of Forestry 

 to be of service to the people and to inculcate 

 love and protection of trees, which will lead 

 eventually to a clearer comprehension of the 

 aims and purposes of forest. . 



THE AIRPLANE IN FOREST PATROL 



B)) Milton R. Klepper, 

 President Aero Club of Oregon. 



Late in July, outbreaks of fire in Oregon 

 resulted in so much pressure being brought on 

 the War Department, largely through the efforts 

 of the Aero Club of Oregon, of whicii Governor 

 Ben W. Olcott is an active member, tliat eight 

 Curtiss planes were sent to Salem, Medford and 

 Roseburg, and army flyers assigned to operate 

 them. Two planes leave Salem each morning, 

 one operating over the timbered area east and 

 west of the Southern Pacific tracks as far north 

 as Portland and the other south as far as 

 Eugene. A similar service is maintained out 

 of Roseburg, one of the planes covering a route 



as far north as Eugene and the other as far 

 south as Medford. 



In the last few days, announcement has been 

 made that de Haviland machines, with the 

 Liberty motors, will be substituted for the Cur- 

 tis planes, which, by their longer range of flight, 

 will be able to cover more territory. 



Whatever may be the cost of maintenance 

 and operation of airplanes in forest fire patrol 

 work, it can never mount to the total of the 

 annual money loss of forest fires. The individ- 

 ual machine represents an outlay of several 

 thousand dollars; keeping it in shape for con- 

 tinuous services takes perhaps hundreds of dol- 

 lars; salaries of flyers and mechanicians are 

 high. 



In comparison with these high figures for 

 equipment and personnel of any system of 

 airplane patrol for forest fires is the annual 

 charge of ten million dollars to destruction of 

 marketable timber. Last year the forest fire 

 loss on the Pacific Coast and Inland Empire 

 is estimated to have been six and a half million 

 dollars. 



Detection of the fires which did this damage, 

 when the blazes were in their incipiency, would 

 have enabled the fire-fighting forces, federal, 

 state, and private, to have prevented a good 

 part of this loss. A half of it, a third, would 

 have meant more to the owners of the timber, 

 whether private or government, than the most 

 thorous;h system of airplane patrol that could be 

 worked out. 



The cost of the work which is now in opera- 

 tion in California and Oregon, and for the ex- 

 tension of which into Washington and Idaho 

 plans are under way, has so far been borne by 

 the Air Service of the United States .Army. 

 During its experimental stage such an arrange- 

 ment can continue, but the success of the patrol 

 foreshadows the time, soon, when the cost of 

 the service must be paid for pro rata by the 

 owners of the timber protected. 



In the two cities in Nova Scotia, Halifax 

 and Sydney, shade trees are only permitted to 

 be cut down or trimmed with the con.-^ont of 

 and under the supervision of the civic author- 

 ities. In the towns and municipalities of the 

 province the statute forbids any person or cor- 

 poration to cut or mutilate trees upon the high- 

 way without his obtaining the consent in writ- 

 ing of the municipality or mayor of the town, 

 and provides a penalty for cutting or trimming 

 trees without such consent. 



