42 Forest Fires and their Prevention. 



demonstration forests. 



One iiiofliod of educating the public in iniprovod methods of forest 

 management which is Avidely practiced in Europe and has been adopted 

 by several of the northern States is by the proper management of 

 State Forests. In different parts of the State areas of land of larger 

 or smaller extent are acquired by gift or purchase, or reserved by the 

 State for the purpose of demonstrating the most practical form of man- 

 agement for that particular locality and for that kind of forest, and on 

 which to conduct experiments to determine practical questions in forest 

 management. In many ^ases land is given or bequeathed to the State 

 by public-spirited citizens for this purpose. 



If the people can be shown the results of proper treatment of the 

 forests in successful fire protection, conservative lumbering, profitable 

 tree planting, and advantageous thinnings, more would be accomplished 

 than by countless lectures and bulletins. On an area in the high moun- 

 tains experiments might be made to determine the best way to cut 

 spruce for pulp while insuring the perpetuation of these forests. In the 

 mountain hardwood forests methods to increase the proportion of pop- 

 lar, chestnut, and other valuable species in the second growth might be 

 demonstrated. In the Piedmont region the profits in judicious thinning 

 of shortleaf pine stands could be shown. In the Coastal Plain region 

 successful reproduction of longleaf pine might be demonstrated and ex- 

 periments made to determine whether longleaf or loblolly pine was the 

 most profitable tree to grow on certain types of soil. On "the Banks" 

 the fixation of drifting sand by forest growth could be shown by plant- 

 ing up the sand dunes, and the profitable use of such areas made appar- 

 ent by propagation of turpentine yielding pines. All such demon- 

 strations, besides their value for experiments and for showing improved 

 methods of forest management, involve, of necessity, adequate fire pro- 

 tection, and the successful accomplishment of this alone would make the 

 acquirement and management of such demonstration forests justifiable, 

 and fnllv compensate the State for their cost. 



COXCLUSIOX. 



Reports from correspondents in but one-third of the townships of the 

 State give an estimated area of 580,000 acres of woodland burnt over 

 during 1910, Avith a consequent loss of over half a million dollars in 

 timber and personal property. If the losses from this cause in the re- 

 maining townships could be ascertained, and the enormous damage to 

 young growth, soil and streams could be computed, it is very certain 

 that the total loss to North Carolina by forest fires for the past year 



