PROTECTION 



205 



each forest was divided into compartments of 247 acres, separated by 

 fire lines of 33 feet in width. The weeds, grass, and vegetable debris 

 were all removed from the lines. As a rule these lines were used to back- 

 fire from, since they alone would not stop the average fire. 34 



Another important item of protection in the State forests is against 

 a root fungus, which greatly decreases growth and ultimately kills the 

 trees. It is transmitted through the roots and is controlled by digging 

 a trench about 2| feet deep around infected areas. Such areas are 

 detected by the fact that the reproduction within them starts to die. 

 Owners claim that this disease usually appears where the roots of living 

 trees are injured by fire. That is one reason for not permitting burning 

 of charcoal among standing timber. A preventive measure is to thin 

 the timber before it reaches the sapling stage. 35 There is some damage 

 from caterpillars, and there was some good-sized areas in the State 

 forests (near Lacanau) that appeared materially damaged in 1918. 



34 See p. 275 for additional data on intensive fire protection. 



35 See p. 110 for the details of early thinnings (d^pressage). 



