436 FIRE-CONSERVANCY. 



the forest and on the trace. 



We must fire during the day time in the following several cir- 

 cumstancs : 



(a) If dews are heavy and the grass is too wet to burn between 

 sundown and an hour or more after sunrise. If the grass in the forest 

 is not very inflammable and the wind permits of it, the firing may 

 be commenced from the time the dew has disappeared and continued 

 as long as the grass is dry enough to burn. But if the grass in 

 the forest is in a dangerous condition, it is safe not to begin firing 

 until past noon, so that nightfall with its heavy dews and low 

 temperature may not be far off in case the fire from the trace got 

 into the forest. 



(6) If the grass on the trace is dry, whilst inside the forest it 

 is not yet inflammable. 



^c) If the grass everywhere takes fire with difficulty. 



(d) If the grass is everywhere green and it is essential to 

 increase the width of a check line or the effectiveness of roads or 

 watercourses by burning a cushion of cut grass as explained above 

 (pp. 430, 434 and 435). 



(<?) When no guide lines are cleared, for it would be impossible 

 during the night to follw the line to be burnt. For safety's sake, 

 unless the grass everywhere, or at least in the forest, was green, 

 the firing should generally commence in the afternoon. 



We must fire only at night in the following cases: 



(a) When the grass has eveiy where become more or less readily 

 inflammable, especially in steep hilly country with sharp crests 

 and ridges. 



(7>) When, there being no dew, high winds render work during 

 the day dangerous. 



(c) In the height of the hot weather, when it is impossible for 

 any one to face a grass fire during any other period of the twenty 

 four hours. 



In every other case the work of firing should begin late in the 

 afternoon or an hour or two before nightfall, according to the nature 

 of the season and the condition of the grass in the forest ; and it should 

 be continued as late into the night as the men can hold out or the 

 dew, should dews still prevail, will allow the grass to burn. It is 

 evident that in the most favourable circumstance the appearance of 

 dawn should be a signal for closing work forthwith. 



5. Firing the traces. 

 The simplest and most expeditious way to sot fire to a trace is to 



