No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 373 



that 144 fires were reported by the carriers during the year. This number 

 would undoubtedly have been very materially increased if reports had 

 been received direct from the carriers. 



Federal Co-operation. 



The Weeks bill passed in 1910, providing for the purchase of portions 

 of the White Mountain and Appalachian Mountain regions, also provides 

 for the protection against fires of watersheds of navigable streams in the 

 United States. The co-operative work in this State is confined to the 

 watersheds of the Nashua, Chicopee, Miller, Thames, Blackstone, Hud- 

 son, Connecticut and Deerfield rivers, and an allotment of $3,000 was 

 made by the federal department for carrying on the work within these 

 watersheds. This fund was used for the payment of observers in the 

 various observation towers throughout the central and western parts of 

 the State. This appropriation has made it possible to better protect the 

 above watersheds than would have been possible under our limited State 

 appropriation. 



Danger from Slash. 



The greatest fire evil this department has to contend with is the slash 

 problem. It is impossible even to give an estimate of the number of the 

 thousands of acres of slash there are left upon the ground throughout 

 the State at the present time, but some idea may be reached when we 

 take into consideration that there are 297 portable sawmills in operation, 

 and in only 12 instances has there been any disposition made of the slash. 

 We also have over 300 miles of power line, a large percentage of which 

 runs through forest lands. These lines are cut, in most instances, 150 feet 

 wide, and in nearly every case the slash is piled against the adjoining 

 forest area. These power lines would make excellent fire lines, provided 

 they were cleaned and the brush disposed of. 



Then we have the many miles of highway where not only do we have 

 the accumulation of slash on property adjoining the highway, but the 

 land within the road limits is not cleaned in many instances. If this were 

 cleaned the many fires starting from automobile parties and others care- 

 lessly throwing lighted matches, cigars and cigarettes along the roadside 

 would be lessened very materially. The time is certainly at hand when 

 legislation should be enacted that will improve the slash conditions 

 throughout the State and put a stop to the enormous damage from fires 

 from this cause. 



Boy Scouts. 



The following communication from Scout Commissioner Ormond E. 

 Loomis of the Greater Boston District gives a very good idea of the inter- 

 est shown by the Boy Scout organization in the prevention of forest fires. 



Mr. M. C. HuTCHiNS, State Fire Warden, 6 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass. 



Dear Sir: — Complying with your request that ■we submit a report showing 

 to what extent the Boy Scouts in Massachusetts have benefited the State by 



