18 Forest Fikes axd their Prevextiox. 



Nearly half of tlie burnt-over area of the State was supporting a 

 growth of merchantable timber, though probably the greater part of it 

 had been culled to some extent. The division of the area into mer- 

 chantable timber, second growth, and cut-over, is only approximate and 

 can not be taken as definite figures. Nearly all merchantable timber in 

 the hardwood forests contains more or less second growth, while a great 

 l^art of the cut-over lauds also contains much young growth. Such 

 figures, therefore, can not be accurate, and are of use cliieily in giving 

 some idea of the damage done by fires. 



MERCHANTABLE TIMBER DESTROYED. 



The amount of merchantable timber destroyed, compared with the 

 area burnt over containing such timber, appears to be very small. This 

 is due to the fact that, as a rule, mature timber is not killed outright by 

 the ordinary forest fires in this State, unless the fire occurs in tlio late 

 spring. Most fires, however, do seriously injure mature standing tim- 

 ber, and often the death of timber Avhich is attributed to insects is 

 really primarily caused by forest fires. In spite of this, however, there 

 is a reported loss of 62,000,000 feet of merchantable timber from fires. 

 This is nearly twice as much as was reported destroyed in 1909. 



FOREST PRODUCTS DESTROYED. 



The value of forest products destroyed in 1910 is about three times 

 as much as that listed for 1909, and amounts to over a quarter of a 

 million dollars. This includes sawlogs, lumber, cordwood, bark, and 

 other material. 



Although this large item of loss is no doul)t much below the real 

 figure, it is, however, enough to make peoi)le realize the a(lvisal)ility of 

 taking acti^'e steps to prevent such fires. 



I.MPROVK.AIEXTS DESTROYED. 



Farm improvements, chiefly fences and outbuildings, are included 

 under tbis head. Ninety-eight thousand dollars was lost by the de- 

 struction of this class of j^i-operty alone, niore than half of it in the 

 Coastal Plain region. This, as will be seen from Table 1. is also largely 

 in excess of that of 1909. 



LIVES LOST. 



The year 1910 will long be remembered as one of the most destruc- 

 tive to life and property from forest fires throughout the country. Dur- 

 ing the month of August scores of lives were lost in the forest regions 

 of the northwestern States. 



