STATE NEWS 



751 



New Jersey 



The New Jersey Forest Commission an- 

 nounces that the Forest Fire Patrol main- 

 tained in North Jersey in co-operation with 

 the United States Forest Service is being 

 reorganized for the fall work. Instead of 

 emphasizing particularly the railroad expo- 

 sure, as has been done during the spring and 

 summer, attention will be centered more on 

 the danger in the woods. 



During the summer there have been 93 

 fires reported by patrolmen, none of which 

 were allowed to assume any size, and most 

 of which were put out by the patrolmen 

 themselves, thereby preventing possible 

 forest fires, with their consequent damage 

 and costs. Whether it be primarily due to 

 the patrol, to increased activity and efficiency 

 of the local wardens, or to a growing public 

 interest in forest protection, there is no doubt 

 that fires are markedly fewer and less serious 

 in this section than heretofore. 



The fall work is planned with especial ref- 

 erence to automobile and nutting parties and 

 the sportsmen. A small number of men went 

 on duty on October 1 at places particularly 

 exposed, and the full force will be available 

 from October 15 to the end of the season. 

 The patrol this year will differ from that of 

 last season in that the patrolmen will be less 

 restricted to the roads and are expected to 

 pick up those responsible for fires in the 

 woods. Though their first duty is to watch 

 for and notify the fire wardens of fires, they 

 are particularly instructed and are empow- 

 ered to arrest all violators of the law, in 

 the woods or along the roads, whether build- 

 ing fires without permits or dropping lighted 

 matches, tobacco, etc. In this way the Forest 

 Commission expects to put a stop to the care- 

 lessness with fire so prevalent among those 

 in the woods for an outing or hunting trip. 

 These officers, with the rural mailmen, who 

 also are serving as patrol under an order of 

 the Postmaster General issued last spring, 

 are expected to minimize the fire danger this 

 season, 



STATE FIRE WARDEN. 



Prof. Ferguson Returns to Penn State 



After an absence of one year, during which 

 time he has been head of the Department of 

 Forestry at the University of Missouri, Prof. 

 John A. Ferguson returns to the Department 

 of Forestry at the Pennsylvania State Col- 

 lege as its head. Before going to Missouri 

 Professor Ferguson was connected with this 

 school for three years and was in charge 

 for nearly two years in the absence of the 

 head of the department. 



California. 



A great deal of interest has been displayed 

 of late by the various women's clubs through- 

 out the State concerning forestry, especially 

 that phase of it dealing with forest fire pro- 

 tection. At a recent meeting of the Northern 

 District of the Federation of Women's Clubs, 

 Forestry in California was the main issue 

 of discussion. During this meeting, many 

 resolutions concerning forestry were adopted, 

 chief of these being to assist in a real 

 publicity campaign against forest fires. 



Forestry in California is still in its infancy 

 and such cooperation as exists, at present, 

 between the various Women's Clubs and this 

 department, concerning the educational fea- 

 ture of the work, is very encouraging indeed. 



So far, the work of the department has 

 necessarily been of an educational nature, 

 due to a lack of funds to carry on any other 

 work. However, with the small amount that 

 was available an investigation of cut-over 

 and timbered land, with special attention paid 

 to slash conditions and waste in logging, 

 was made during the summer months. Th? 

 results of these investigations will be fully 

 discussed in the biennial report of the State 

 Forester which will be available about Jan- 

 uary 1, 1913. 



California is badly in need of a forest fire 

 system and legislation looking toward that 

 end is being drawn up with a view of pre- 

 senting it at the next legislature. 



Much valuable information concerning the 

 kinds and amounts of wood produced in the 

 State and demanded by the industries manu- 

 facturing finished products, as well as a. 

 directory of such manufacturers, is contained 

 in a volume recently issued by the State 

 Board of Forestry, in cooperation with the 

 U, S. Forest Service, and entitled "Wood 

 Using Industries of California." 



The volume is for general distribution 

 among people who are interested and a copy 

 may be obtained by addressing the State 

 Forester, Sacramento, California. 



Mr. R. H. -Boynton has resigned his posi- 

 tion as Assistant State Forester to go into 

 private business. Mr. Ralph W. Sloss, who 

 has been a field assistant in the department 

 for the past year, has been appointed to fill 

 the position vacated by Mr. Moynton. 



Early Conservation Ideas 



In the provincial charter of 1001, under 

 which the Plymouth colony and the province 

 of Maine were united with Massachusetts, it 

 was provided that all trees of the diameter 

 of twenty-four inches and upward, twelve 

 inches from the ground, growing upon land 

 not heretofore granted to any private person, 

 should be reserved to the crown for the fur- 

 nishing of masts for the royal navy. 



