•2H 



stroyiug- iusects. Tliis disappearaucc of avian life is. 

 110 doubt, to be attributed, iu part at least, to tiie tires, 

 which destroy so inuiiy of these birds in the bi'eediug 

 season. 



SERIOUS LOSS IN 1895. 



From reliable statistics, on file iu this Department, 

 we find that iu the year 1895 there were about l2i!o,U(Ml 

 acres burned over, occasioning a great loss to valuable 

 timber, aggregating fully one million of dollars. 



In 1895 twenty buildings were destroyed, among 

 which were several saw-mills; two men and several 

 horses and cattle lost their lives in the fires, which 

 also consumed a considerable quantity of cut and 

 sawed timber. In the same year the farmers spent 

 $45,000 in wages alone, to pay men and boys to aid iu 

 extinguishing the flames. Besides the great loss to our 

 lumber interests and to the farmers whose fences, build- 

 ings and other personal property are continually en 

 dangered by the flames' ravages, the reducing of these 

 semi-annual conflagrations, which in the majority of 

 cases, are, from reports at hand, the result of either 

 grossly careless or maliciously inclined persons, is 

 absolutely necessary as the continued destruction of 

 our timbered areas by the woodman's axe and the de- 

 vTastating flames, will before many years sieriously 

 menace the water supply of our State. The restoratioh 

 of forest trees on thousands of acres of land, uow prac- 

 tically valueless, is a matter of the utmost importance 

 from a hygenic standpoint. The fact, however, re- 

 mains true tliat this can never be accomplished unless 

 some vigorous means, through legislative aid. are 

 taken to repress the forest fires. 



