FOREST PROTECTION. 153 



has been bid in by the State for delinquent taxes. A 

 large part of the land the State owns has a valuable growth 

 of trees on it, much of which is liable to injury or destruc- 

 tion by fire at any time, and the State can well afford to 

 provide protection for it. 



Firebreaks, in the shape of clean earth roads, ploughed 

 strips, etc., are effective against ordinary forest fires. 

 Very often by clearing up and widening the course of 

 a brook, a very efficient firebreak may be made which 

 will supplement other firebreaks. It is stated on good 

 authority that fairly satisfactory and very cheap fire- 

 breaks may be made in rough stump land by fencing 

 off a strip about three rods wide and pasturing it with 

 sheep, which ^ill kill out all the brush in the course of a 

 year or two. The sheep do this most effectually if the 

 land is rather overstocked, and they receive a little grain 

 to make up for their lack of pasturage. Fig. 56 shows 

 a firebreak or lane on Le Grande Dune in France. 



The Burning of Trash left on the ground at the time 

 of logging is recommended by some of our best woodmen 

 as a means of doing away with one of the sources of our 

 worst forest fires. This trash can be burned early in 

 the spring, or at other times when the ground is wet and 

 fire is not likely to get beyond control. On the other 

 hand, it is well known that there are many seedlings on 

 such land that would be seriously injured or destroyed 

 by such treatment. It is also known that under the trash 

 left after logging are generally found about the best con- 

 ditions for pine seeds to start and for the seedlings to grow, 

 so that some of our best authorities condemn the prac- 

 tice. It would seem, however, that on account of the great 

 liability of fires starting in such trash, prudence would 

 generally advocate the burning of it while it could be 

 controlled, but this should be done so as to cause as little 

 injury as possible to new growth, and especial care should 



