482 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



During each successive year, of late, we have been the more 

 able to do work that begins to show definite results. Our 

 splendid forest fire protective system in Massachusetts is cer- 

 tainly soniething of which we may all be proud. Where forest 

 fires a few years ago were allowed to run at will, to-day we aim 

 to detect and extinguish them at once. Our system consists of 

 26 observation towers scattered over the State, each containing 

 a wide-awake observer, who has telephone connection with 

 forest wardens in each city and town, 353 in all. In addition 

 we have 1,500 deputies, a State Fire Warden with his four as- 

 sistants, who patrol each section of the State in auto runabouts, 

 and also 300 rural mail carriers whose duty it is to report fires. 

 With this comprehensive system it can be plainly seen that the 

 danger of the destruction of forests by fire is rapidly being 

 overcome. 



Next from point of importance to forest fires comes, probably, 

 forest taxation. The past season realized the placing of a ra- 

 tional and workable forest tax law on our statute books. By 

 registering forest land in accordance with the new law any one 

 may have a comprehensive and definite knowledge of what his 

 future forest taxes will be. This law is automatic, and is a 

 safety valve for rational forestry investment. It took six years 

 to secure this forest taxation law, as it necessitated a change in 

 the State Constitution and an acceptance by the people, even 

 before a commission could be appointed to draft and submit the 

 new law to the Legislature. 



The new slash law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 1915, requires 

 that all lumbermen, farmers or others who operate wood lots 

 hereafter must remove or destroy all brush or slash for a dis- 

 tance of 40 feet from the highway, railroad or abutting wood- 

 land. This law will render conditions far more favorable for 

 handling incipient forest fires. The strip will act as a natural 

 forest fire line. 



With the above regulations added to our numerous previous 

 acts, such as the permit act, the forest warden act, the re- 

 forestation act, the forest domain act, the town forest fire 

 equipment act, etc., we now have a set of fundamental laws 

 which we may proudly acclaim in their entirety, and which 



