238 PROTECTION OF WOODLANDS. 



paths should especially be cleared frequently, so as to remove all 

 the dead branches or twigs and the dry stems. 



Where railway lines pass through woodlands, ditches or naked 

 strips of ground should be formed parallel to them on each side, 

 and these should be planted up with belts of broad-leaved species 

 of trees, so that the sparks are not only most likely to be 1 

 intercepted by the non-inflammable foliage, but are also little 

 likely to cause fires when they reach the ground, more especially 

 if the soil below these belts of trees be kept free of inflammable 

 material by sweeping with stable-brooms, or ordinary besoms made 

 of scrub. 



In extensive woods of Scots Pine formed on heathery tracts, 

 in which the danger from fire is ordinarily greater than under 

 almost any other circumstances, it is exceedingly important that 

 the whole area should be subdivided into compartments by fire- 

 paths and safety-lines or belts of broad-leaved species, so that 

 these may be of some assistance in preventing the spread of fires 

 that may have broken out. The whole woodland area should be sub- 

 divided into compartments of moderate size by means of narrow 

 rides, which ought to be carefully kept clear of inflammable matter. 

 These are of themselves usually sufficient to stop the progress of 

 a ground fire, whilst in the case of a crown conflagration, they 

 form very convenient points for at once commencing operations to 

 prevent the fire spreading into the other portions of the woods. 

 These rides should run at right angles to the direction of the pre- 

 vailing winds, that is, should run generally from north to south 

 (with such deviations to N.E. and S.W., or N.W. to S.E., as local 

 conditions may suggest), and should be planted up with a fringe, 

 or, better still, with a wide belt of some broad-leaved species, 

 which, in the case of a crown-fire, does excellent service in stop- 

 ping its further progress. In planting up such protective rows or 

 belts, the Birch is the species which is specially deserving of 

 attention in this regard, for it is the tree most easily satis- 

 fied with the inferior conditions as to nutriment that are alone 

 offered by the poorer classes of sandy soil ; where the Oak finds 

 any suitable 'home, it also, treated as coppice, is capable of 

 performing very good service in stopping the progress of 

 fires. 



As it is of very great importance to have speedy informatioi 

 with regard to the occurrence of any forest fire, so that measui 



