the wet season, in intervals of from five to fifty years, 

 the periodical rotation depending upon the local rate 

 of litter accumulation. The litter is then burned with- 

 out danger from ground or crown fires and, if handled 

 scientifically, aids in normal reproduction, removes the 

 excess underbrush, increases the forage, maintains the 

 forest in a thrifty and healthy condition and renders 

 the forest immune to destruction by fire at all seasons 

 of the year. 



It is well known that the Indians practiced a periodic 

 burning over of the forests. Literature on the sub- 

 ject has explained this in many ways excepting the one 

 here given. When the California pioneer asked the 

 Indian why he set so many fires, he replied, "Letum go 

 too long get too hot killum all." The Indian knew 

 that the surface fire burned the litter and that the ac- 

 cumulation of litter was the cause of crown fires which 

 destroyed the entire forest cover. He used the surface 

 fire to prevent the crown fire and although he may not 

 have been very scientific, it must be admitted that his 

 methods were highly successful when compared with 

 present day fire loss. A careful examination of the 

 northern Sierra Nevada forests will show that the first 

 growth trees are fire-marked throughout all this forest ; 

 the indications of destructive fires prior to the coming 

 of the " Americans" are in small proportions and so in- 

 distinct as to point to fire very remotely in the past, if 

 at all ; and, the ages of the prime trees precludes the 

 occurrence of destructive fires for hundreds and thou- 

 sands of years of aboriginal treatment. The pioneers 

 found these forests open and clean; today they are so 

 encumbered with fallen trees, underbrush and other 



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