protp:ctiye measures. 647 



5. Protective ]\Ieasures. 



From what has been ah-eady said, it is clear that for Central 

 Europe, protective measures against fire have chiefl}^ to be 

 carried out in coniferous forests. The following rules will 

 serve for private forests : — 



(a) Mixture of broadlcaved species in coniferous forests, 

 either by single trees, groups, or in whole compartments, or as 

 protective belts round the coniferous woods. Such protection 

 is specially needed along the borders and roads through Scots 

 pine forests. 



Birch, oak, beech, black poplar, and robinia are suitable 

 species, and the belts should be 25 to 35 feet broad, and may 

 be either High Forest or Coppice. Such belts are largely used 

 in the Landes of Gascony to protect the cluster pine from fire, 

 and should be kept free from heather, ferns, dead leaves, and 

 underwood, which are readily sold for litter. In the Tucheler 

 Heide, ditches 2 — 3 metres broad are dug round endangered 

 woods, and the spoil heaps formed into a mound inside the 

 ditch. These mounds are planted with birch one metre apart, 

 and have proved efficient. A similar plan is adopted in the 

 sandy parts of Windsor forest. 



Except in coniferous mountain forests, belts of broadleaved 

 trees are practically useless in most parts of India, as trees 

 that retain their foliage during the dangerous months will 

 grow well only in moist places. In Assam, however, belts of 

 evergreen forest growing in low ground on either side of 

 watercourses frequently act as protective belts to the drier 

 deciduous Sal forest on either side of them. 



b. Fire- Tn(rps. 



Wherever forests are surrounded by inflammable under- 

 growth such as heather, grass, etc., fire-traces of sufficient 

 breadth should be made along their boundaries, and internal 

 fire-traces are also required for all extensive inflammable forest 

 areas, to limit the extent of the damage done, in case a fire 

 should cross the boundary, or break out within it. The 

 number of internal fire-traces required for a forest must be 

 left to local experience, but the forest manager should remember 



