APPENDIX. 



FOREST FIRE STATISTICS. 



The statistics given here have been compiled from the reports 

 of the state forestry departments of the six New England states. 

 As these reports are for states and not for forest regions it has 

 been necessary to combine figures from several states in order 

 to obtain totals for the four regions. The reports are not full 

 enough in some instances, and often do not cover enough years 

 for a fair average and are not arranged with sufficient uni- 

 formity to give this compilation complete accuracy. However, 

 it is believed that the tables faithfully picture conditions in the 

 four forest regions, and in acreage burned over, damage done, 

 and cost of protection are conservative. 



The total annual loss from forest fires in New England is 

 nearly $1,000,000, which, as shown in Table I, is composed of 

 three items: 



First. Damage as ordinarily reported. 



Second. Cost of protection (including fighting fires). 



Third. Damage not ordinarily reported. 



The amount of the first represents the damage as given in by 

 the fire wardens and patrolmen, and is mainly to merchantable 

 material. Very rarely is damage to unmerchantable material 

 properly estimated and reported. Where trees nearly of mer- 

 chantable size are injured the damage to them is sometimes 

 reported, but more often even this is omitted. 



Damage not ordinarily reported consists of injury to young 

 growth, ranging from trees a Httle under the merchantable 

 size to small seedlings or "reproduction" as these small plants 

 are collectively termed. In'ury to the soil and to seed-bed con- 

 ditions is also included in unreported damage. Fire injury to 

 the soil has been previously described in Chapter VIII. Fre- 



