292 FORESTRY IN NEW ENGLAND 



only a small percentage of the fires of this region. The fires 

 started by sportsmen are the second largest in number. 



Methods of Fire Protection. — Fire protection in this region 

 should lie with the town and state authorities. A central 

 authority is needed, inasmuch as the forest holdings are of small 

 extent. In most cases an organization for the protection of a 

 single tract only would be very expensive, and the owners are 

 too many in a given section to make practicable co-operative 

 fire-protective associations. It devolves, then, in this as in all 

 woodlot regions, upon the towns and state to furnish protection. 

 This can be best accomplished with one central authority (the 

 state forestry department) , in charge and working through local 

 representatives (the forest-fire wardens), in every town. The 

 forest-fire wardens should have the authority to patrol in dan- 

 gerous fire seasons, as well as to attend to the putting out of fires. 

 Unless the right to patrol is given the wardens the system must 

 lack the highest efficiency, because not directed to preventing 

 the start of fires. 



The maintenance of lookout stations on mountains, while 

 often giving excellent results, is not an essential part of the sys- 

 tem in this region, since the country is well settled and mountains 

 with extended views over the neighboring country are relatively 

 few. The farmers with short views over their immediate neigh- 

 borhood take the place of mountain lookouts. Telephones are 

 already well distributed over the territory, but it may often be 

 advisable to extend the system by connecting lines with farm- 

 houses having good views over wooded territory. 



Special measures for the disposal of logging debris are not 

 considered necessary. Coniferous forests, with the bad slash 

 left after logging, are notable by their absence. The hardwood 

 tops decay rapidly and do not make a bad fire trap. Cordwood 

 should be taken out of the tops of trees felled for lumber wherever 

 it can be done without financial loss, thus leaving the stand in 

 excellent condition so far as brush is concerned. 



In fighting fires the same tools are useful in this as in the 

 spruce region. There is, however, less need for shovels, as 



