35 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



if 10,000,000 acres would suffice to keep the miners 

 going. 



We have no accurate knowledge of the amount of 

 timber used in a year in the mines. But we do know 

 that it requires about a cubic foot for each ton of 

 anthracite, say 70,000,000 cubic feet per year, some- 

 what less for each ton of bituminous, say 250,000,000 

 cubic feet yearly. Iron ore needs at least 20,000,000 

 feet, precious metal mining needs a cubic foot for each 

 cube of gold, such as I have here, or say 75,000,000 

 cubic feet, or say 400,000,000 cubic feet a year for the 

 whole mining industry. 



As a deadly foe to the forester the reputation of the 

 miner is losing his former picturesque position, as fast 

 as many of the sensational stories of the miner's 

 depravity cease to represent present conditions, and 

 pass with old pioneer conditions into the legends of old 

 days. 



Foremost among these dear old classic legends is 

 that of the prospector who burns off the forest to get 

 rid of the undergrowth so he can more easily discover 

 his hidden treasure. Of course, prospectors include 

 every sort of man, even the kind so foolish as to resort 

 to such methods, but such men are disclaimed by the 

 profession and in no way characterize the prospectors. 

 I doubt if any species of tramp ever traverses the 

 forest who uses such thoroughly trained care in ex- 

 tinguishing every spark of fire he kindles as the genuine 

 life-time prospector. He is accustomed to use every 

 mark of changing vegetation to guide him in looking 

 for changes in rock and soil conditions. He wants 

 trees for landmarks if nothing more, and the only 

 places where vegetation is so dense that burning off 

 would compensate for the loss of guiding marks is in 

 regions so wet that you could not build a forest fire 

 with kerosene. 



