40 



laud in various parts of the State shows that even the lightest of 

 leaf fires causes damage to growing trees which cannot be esti- 

 mated in dollars and cents. It is the general opinion that, while 

 light fires running in the dead and fallen leaves do little injury to 

 old oaks and other thick-barked trees, such fires do kill quantities 

 of valuable white piue seedlings, and they also set back for a year 

 or two young deciduous seedlings. Oak, maple, birch and beech 

 under fifteen years old are easily killed by a moderately hot fire, 

 and much older trees are seriously injured and mature pine even 

 killed by them. A forest will not wholly recover from a severe 

 fire in thirty years. Not only is the growth damaged, but the soil 

 is greatly impoverished by a hot fire. One instance may be cited 

 where a good crop of fifteen-year-old hard wood was destroyed. 

 It required Ave years for a new growth to become established, and 

 this succeeding crop was composed of far less valuable varieties 

 than the one destroyed. 



It remains for the farmers themselves to say whether they will 

 protect themselves against this annual scourge by adopting and 

 enforcing the laws which have been provided for the purpose. 

 Without some such insurance against fire loss, little enthusiasm 

 can be expected on the subject of forestry. 



