890 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



BRUSH BURNING ON TAMALPAIS. 



THIS BRUSH IS CUT OFF LEVEL WITH THE GROfcJND, PILED AND CAREFULLY BURNED. IT IS SOAKED WITH 



KEROSENE ON WET DAYS. 



near-by towns and in years to come sit 

 use for this purpose will be largely 

 increased. It follows, as a matter of 

 course, that the highly inflammable 

 growth must be protected against fire 

 and that this protection must be ex- 

 tremely thorough. Fire must be pre- 

 vented from starting, rather than fought 

 after it has spread. 



All the land is in private ownership. 

 This public park (which it is, in effect) 

 is privately owned and is enjoyed by 

 the people through the generosity of the 

 owners. Thus, in many ways, the 

 situation is complicated. 



The plan calls for a construction per- 

 iod of three years, during which time 



forty miles of fire trails, numerous foot 

 trails, a telephone system and several 

 lookout stations are to be constructed. 

 Within this period, also, the district 

 to be protected must be thoroughly 

 supplied with fire fighting tools and 

 other necessary equipment. Last winter 

 some thirteen miles of fire trails were 

 completed. These run, for the most 

 part, either along the tops of the ridges 

 or about a hundred feet below the 

 crests on the leeward sides. In the 

 latter cases the trails are "one way" 

 fire trails, designed for the protection of 

 towns or property threatened chiefly 

 by fires which are almost certain to 

 come from one direction only. As these 



