AMERICAN FORESTRY 



A FIRE PLACE FOR THE WOODS. 



THIS IS MADE OF STONES AND IS ONE OF A VARIETY OF FIRE-PLACES ADVOCATED BY CAREFUL 



WOODSMEN. 



A SAFE CAMP FIRE-PLACE 



THERE are almost as many ways 

 to start a camp fire as there are 

 campers. Many prefer what 

 is known as the "tepee" or 

 "wigwam" style, in which a pyramid 

 is built with fine twigs on which are 

 superimposed others that are progres- 

 sively larger until they are full size. 

 Others use on either side of a fire-place 

 two green sticks as supports, and "lay" 

 the fire as with andirons. 



But whatever the method of starting 

 there is only one way that is safe, as 

 far as prevention of forest fires is con- 

 cerned. Such a safe fire is never built 

 against a fallen log or near a tree. The 

 ground is carefully cleared of inflam- 

 mable duff and rubbish. The picture pre- 

 sented herewith shows the right kind 

 of a place for a camp fire in the woods. 

 The large flat rocks at the sides will 

 support coffee pots or cooking uten- 

 sils ; and the built-up back will serve to 

 reflect heat if the fire is built for 

 warmth or good cheer. 



This fire-place puts such definite 

 limits on the blaze, that when the time 



comes for quitting camp, a little water 

 and some shovelfuls of mineral soil 

 will effectually extinguish the blaze and 

 prevent the spread of fire to the woods. 



A fire-place of this type can be more 

 elaborate and pretentious, of course, but 

 its essential features of safety and con- 

 venience can not be much improved. 



Such a fire-place is available for use 

 from one camping party to another. Be- 

 fore being used, however, all the accum- 

 ulated debris should be carefully 

 cleared away. 



Stones are in no way essential. On 

 the Florida National Forest, for ex- 

 ample, where the soil is a fine sand, one 

 camper asserted that the largest stone 

 he found was in a can of baked beans. 

 In such a place a hole scraped in the 

 sand, with the pine needles and debris 

 raked away, makes an adequate and 

 safe fire-place. Similar conditions else- 

 where can be satisfactorily met by 

 making a hollow in the earth ; then 

 when the fire is left it can be effectually 

 extinguished by heaping upon it the 

 earth removed from the excavation. 



