HOW TO BUILD A CAMP FIRE 



299 



side of a leaning tree will usually contain dry material. 

 Dead branches of manzanita, etc. that have not yet 

 fallen are drier than those on the ground. Bark from fir 

 snags is excellent fuel. 



Where matches are scarce or when the weather is 

 stormy, first light a candle and kindle your fire from that. 



Hints on fire protection are always timely and fit par- 

 ticularly well with these instructions about camp fires. 



The first thing is prevention. Bear in mind the Six 

 Rules. Be particularly careful with camp fire, matches. 

 and tobacco, since carelessness with these is punishable 

 by law. 



Scrape all inflammable material from around the fire 

 before lighting it. Make a fireplace either by digging a 

 hole or by piling up rocks. The fire will then not only be 

 safer but will draw better. 



Before leaving camp see that the last spark is ex- 

 tinguished. Pour water on the embers and then cover 

 them with earth. 



Don't make your fire too large. Large fires are not as 

 convenient to cook by as small ones and are more trouble 

 to put out. 



If you discover a fire, go to it at once and put it out 

 if you can. A small fire can be put out easily by throw- 

 ing handfuls of earth, sand, or dust at the base of the 

 flame. The flames may also be beaten down with sacks 

 or with branches, but care must be taken not to scatter 

 the fire. 



If the fire is spreading too rapidly to be attacked di- 

 rectly, cut and scrape a trail some distance ahead of it. 

 Do not back-fire; this is work for an experienced man. 

 If a fire is serious enough to require this treatment, the 

 work should be left to a ranger. 



The best tools for fire fighting are the shovel, ax, and 

 hoe or rake. In open pine forest very litle ax work will 

 be required. Shovel or rake a trail through the needles 

 down to mineral soil, and guard the trail. 



To stop a fire burning in brush the trail must fire be 

 cut with the ax and then scraped. The brush should be 

 thrown to the side away from the fire. The litter may be 

 scraped toward the fire. 



Pick a route for the fire trail that will avoid brush 

 patches if possible. The crest of a ridge is an excellent 

 location, since the fire naturally checks at the top. 



Do not give up because the fire is gaining headway or 

 because you lack tools. The fire has already been re- 

 ported by lookouts, and rangers are hurrying to it prop- 

 erly equipped. Stay and help them ; and in the mean- 

 time do what you can to keep it in check. 



See that a fire is cold before you leave it. 



Report all fires to the nearest forest officer. 



Do not suppose that because a fire is merely burning 

 in apparently worthless brush it is therefore doing no 

 damage. Such fires are often the most serious. 



breeders, by crossing Japanese chestnut and native chin- 

 quapin, have produced resistant trees. Some of the Chi- 

 nese chestnuts are said to grow 100 feet high. in their 

 home forests. 





CHESTNUT BLIGHT DAMAGE 



THE chestnut blight has already done damage esti- 

 mated as close to $50,000,000. The disease attacks 

 both American and European species, but does 

 little damage to those from Japan and China. Plant 



THE TWIN BEECH TREES 



OX the Jacob 1'urlee farm, four miles south of 

 Salem, in Washington County, Indiana, a nat- 

 ural curiosity which is always attracting a large 

 number of sightseers is twin beech trees. The 



A NATURAL CURIOSITY 



Twin beeches on the farm of Jacob Purlee in Washington County, Ind. 



The limb forming the perfect union is 20 feet above the ground. 



limb that binds the two trees together is 20 feet from 

 the ground and forms a perfect union between the two 

 trees. 



HOUSES FOR RURAL TEACHERS 



A MOST interesting scheme for social service, one 

 affecting every hamlet in the land, has been insti- 

 tuted by the National Lumber Manufacturers' As- 

 sociation, in the proposal to build a home for every rural 

 school teacher in America. Louisiana will be one of the 

 first states where the plan will be carried into effect, and 

 a thorough investigation of the conditions in that state 

 preceded the announcement of the social service plans 

 of the lumber manufacturers. The association has not as 

 yet formulated its plans for pushing this new depart- 

 ment of public service by actually assisting the schools 

 of the nation to build homes for teachers, but work 011 

 this philanthropic enterprise is already under way and 

 the association plans to have its plans ready for announce- 

 ment in a few weeks. 



