50 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



acres were burned, with a cost for fire 

 fighting of $18,000; in 1914, with 103 

 fires and a drier season, the total area 

 burned was 7,653 acres, with a cost for 

 fire fighting of $15,900. Still again, in 

 the Tahoe Forest in 1910, there were 

 84 fires, and such a serious situation 

 developed that United States troops 

 were called upon for aid. This year 

 223 fires were handled by the organiza- 

 tion without help, and the loss was less. 

 On the Trinity Forest 51 fires in 1910 

 burned over 23,191 acres; and in 1914, 

 53 fires burned over 459 acres. In 

 California, the average acreage per 

 fire in 1910 was 653 acres, in 1914 it 

 was 37 acres ; while the average for fires 

 in the timber, excluding brush fires, was 

 this year only 15 acres. 



COST OF FIRE PROTECTION 



A very large number of the fires were 

 extinguished by the regular standing 

 organization without hiring additional 

 help. Fully 50% of the fires were put 

 out by the rangers and guards before 



they reached a quarter of an acre in 

 extent. When a fire was discovered 

 that could not be so handled assistance 

 is secured immediately. The local offi- 

 cers are authorized to hire men and they 

 act swiftly. A delay due to the fear 

 of possibly bringing a few unnecessary 

 men to a fire is disastrous. This was 

 repeatedly shown on private lands when 

 owners hesitated because of the possible 

 expense. The result was in the end 

 great loss and great expense in fighting 

 the fires because these were allowed to 

 become large conflagrations. 



The total expense of fighting fires 

 was about $670,000. This is in con- 

 trast to over a million in 1910. The 

 cost per acre, even where the emergency 

 expenses were greatest, was less than 

 many private owners spent outside the 

 forests under conditions even more 

 favorable than those faced by the 

 Government. 



The Forest Service has had its most 

 successful season thus far in protecting 

 the National Forests. 



PROSPECTIN' 



Up the mountain and through the burn 

 We climbed. An' 'mongst the brush an' fern, 

 An ole man drove his maddoek home, 

 An slapped a tree in the gapin' loam. 

 'Mornin', Father. What's the game?" 

 "Plantin' trees," the answer came. 

 "You don't 'spect to live to see 

 The standin' timber, do ye, say?" 

 He looked, refiectin', down the hill; 

 "Wal, no." "But, thunder, some 'un will." 



J. R. Simmons. 



