224 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Table ov Forest Fire Totals. 



Railroad Co-opeeation in Forest Fike Fighting. 



During the last 3'ear, as heretofore, the officials of the rail- 

 roads have for the most part shown a very helpful and co-oper- 

 ative spirit in regard to forest fires. More attention has been 

 given to keeping the spark-arresters on engines in order, while 

 our forest wardens and the section men are working together 

 for the prevention of fires. The new legislation of last year, 

 whereby the railroads are to reimburse the towns for the cost 

 of fighting fires known to be set by them, was enacted without 

 any protest, and, in fact, with their consent. Hereby an or- 

 ganization for forest fire fighting is resulting which will prevent 

 fires that otherwise would be of great expense to railroads. The 

 damages for one fire are likely to cost a railroad more than the 

 total expense of reimbursing all of its towns in fighting fires set 

 by them. 



President Tuttle of the Boston & Maine Railroad compli- 

 mented us by having a representative at both the ^N^orthampton 

 and Boston conferences of forest wardens, who discussed " What 

 the railroads are doing to prevent fires," and pointed out wherein 

 they were glad to co-operate with the towns in stopping forest 

 and grass fires. The T^ew York, New Haven & Hartford Rail- 

 road also sent a representative to the Middleborough meeting 

 in a like capacity. Mr. Louville Curtis, the representative of 

 the Boston & Maine Raih'oad, has already adopted the use of 

 hand fire extinguishers on the western division of their road, 

 and is delighted with the results. He believes that their use 

 will become very common by railroads for extinguishing forest 

 or grass fires in the future. They could be kept at points along 

 the line easy of access, and quickly shipped by the first train 

 or sent by a special if occasion demanded. Much clearing up 



