APPENDIX 419 



Probably the most noticeable thing in Table I is the small 

 area burned over and the low damage in the northern hard- 

 woods region as compared to the other three regions. This is 

 more accurately shown in Table II. From this table it is seen 

 that in the northern hardwoods region only .001 of the forested 

 area is annually burned over as against .0026, .014 and .0356 

 respectively in the spruce, white pine, and sprout hardwoods 

 region. It is all the more striking since less money per acre 

 protected is spent here than in any of the other regions. The 

 northern hardwoods region is naturally comparatively immune 

 from forest fires, as has been explained in discussing the forest 

 fire situation there. 



The tables clearly show that the well-settled regions have a 

 more serious fire problem than the unsettled regions. Compare 

 the per cent burned over and cost of protection for the spruce 

 and sprout hardwoods region, and compare the latter with the 

 United States National forests where only .0018 of the forested 

 area was burned over in 1909. 



The amount of money spent annually for fire protection (in- 

 cluding fighting fires) should be looked upon as an insurance 

 premium paid for the protection of the forest. To show the 

 rate of premium now paid, column 4 of Table II gives the per 

 cent of the total value of the forest lands spent annually for fire 

 protection. This ranges annually from one-fiftieth of one per 

 cent in the northern hardwoods region to one-tenth of one per 

 cent in the spruce region. By comparison with rates paid for 

 insurance on buildings in cities where the best fire protection 

 is afforded and fire hazard is enormously less than in the forest, 

 the absurdly low rate now paid for the protection (insurance) 

 of forests from fires will be at once apparent. 



Sentiment for the better protection of the forest is rapidly 

 growing in New England, and the state organizations for forest 

 fire protection are each year becoming more efiicient. 



The increase of public sentiment should result in making 

 available larger sums of money for fire protection and this, with 

 the greater efficiency of the organization, will undoubtedly re- 

 sult in a lessening of the annual forest fire loss 



