336 FORESTRY IN NEW ENGLAND 



Fires caused through the carelessness of people in the woods 

 are so frequent that special stress should be laid on educational 

 measures. In the northern hardwoods region, with a popula- 

 tion engaged largely in agricultural occupations and a high 

 percentage of the inhabitants interested in woodlands, the ne- 

 cessity for arousing public sentiment against forest fires does 

 not so strongly exist as in a densely populated section like the 

 one under discussion, with many manufacturing towns close to 

 wooded areas. Here a great number of people, entirely igno- 

 rant of and indifferent to the damage done by forest fires, and 

 not owning woodlands, are found taking their pleasure in the 

 woods, and are responsible for numerous fires. They must be 

 educated to see the harmful results of these fires. The local 

 fire wardens should thoroughly post their districts with warning 

 and instructive notices concerning forest fires, printed in several 

 languages, to meet the needs of the local population. To supple- 

 ment these notices the newspapers should be furnished with 

 plenty of copy on the subject. A campaign for better enforce- 

 ment of the laws punishing persons setting fires, especially if a 

 few convictions can be secured, will do much toward lessening 

 the number of fires set intentionally. 



The great danger of fires starting from railroad locomotives, 

 which is amply proven by statistics, should lead to special 

 efforts to reduce the fires from this cause with the purpose of 

 finally eliminating locomotives as a source of forest fires. This 

 may eventually come by the use of a safer fuel than wood or 

 coal. On a few of the main lines electricity will probably be 

 voluntarily adopted by the railroads within ten or fifteen years, 

 but the general adoption of a new fuel, while undoubtedly most 

 advantageous from a fire standpoint, will come only through 

 state regulation. Since the main lines of railroads in the 

 white pine region traverse alternately open and wooded land 

 it is doubtful if a compulsory change of fuel could be secured, 

 but with branch lines extending chiefly through woodland the 

 use of a safe fuel might reasonably be demanded. 



Until such action can be secured emphasis must be placed on 



