No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 305 



phone line and to erect a 30 -foot steel tower with an enclosed room at 

 the top. It will be necessary to estabhsh two or three more substations 

 in this district in order to properly protect the forest area and the water- 

 sheds of the Connecticut, Deerfield and Miller rivers. One of these 

 stations will be located on October Mountain, covering the Whitney 

 Preserve and the Pittsfield watershed. 



The results obtained from the observation stations have been very 

 satisfactory. While it has been absolutely impossible to detect every 

 smoke, owing to the hazy and cloudy weather, at times making it impossi- 

 ble to see over 8 or 10 miles (although the observer is supposed to cover 

 a radius of at least 15 miles), yet it is very gratifying to report that out of 

 1,800 fires reported by the different forest wardens over 1,500 were first 

 observed by the men in charge of the observation stations. Of the fires 

 reported by these observers our tables show that 51 per cent, were extin- 

 guished within one hour from the time they were observed, 21 per cent, 

 within two hours, 15 per cent, within three hours, 5 per cent, within four 

 hours, 3 per cent. Mithin five hours, and that but 5 per cent, burned over 

 five hours. 



It seems necessary that there be established tliroughout the State more 

 substations, to be used only during dry and hazy weather, when it is 

 absolutely impossible to protect the territory by the permanent stations. 



The triangulation system which was adopted this year has proved very 

 effective in locating fires accurately at a distance of 12 or 15 miles. I feel 

 confident that arrangements will be made the coming season for extending 

 this system into the States of New Hampshire, Vermont and Connecticut, 

 thus enabling us to get readings from their oT^servation stations bordering 

 on the north and south of this Commonwealth. 



The towers with which we are equipping our stations are constructed 

 for permanent use, being made of heavy steel, from 30 to 40 feet high. 

 They are constructed with an 8 by 8 foot square building at the top, 

 which has a glass enclosure as far as possible, thus allowing the observers to 

 be continually on the watch and protecting them from inclement weather, 

 as well as providing a suitable protection for our maps, report blanks, 

 telephone and all necessary equipment. These towers cost complete, 

 all constructed on cement piers, from $225 to S275, the variation in price 

 being on account of difference in locaUty and expense of hauUng. All 

 construction work is done entirely by our district forest wardens and 

 observation men, and I desire to say that we are extremely fortunate 

 in having as district forest wardens men who are capable of handling this 

 line of work as well as all map making and telephone construction work. 



Forest Fire Equipment. 

 Under an act of the Legislature passed in the spring of 1910, appro- 

 priating S5,000 annually for forest fire prevention, all towns with a valua- 

 tion of $1,500,000 or less are entitled to 50 per cent, reimbursement on all 

 forest fire-fighting equipment they desire to purchase, not exceeding $500, 



