No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 515 



While we have experienced a very serious drouth during the summer 

 and fall of 1914, and our number of fires exceeds by a large margin that of 

 any former year in the history of the department, we have been able, by 

 the efficient work of our men and the hearty co-operation of many residents 

 of the Commonwealth, to hold our loss to a remarkably low figure. With 

 a period of thirty-eight days, from September 9 to October 17, with only 

 one-fourth of an inch of rainfall, and during this period a legal holiday, 

 October 12, which was also the opening day of the hunting season, with 

 60,000 hunters and as many more pleasure seekers roaming through the 

 woods from Cape Cod to the Berksliire Hills, it is not surprising that 

 many dangerous fires occurred. On this date our reports show 166 fires 

 reported, mostly confined to Middlesex, Worcester and the western coun- 

 ties. Of the above fires, 13 were dangerous, and burned over an area of 

 nearly 8,000 acres. While the area burned was not all forested land, con- 

 siderable timber was destroyed. Most of these fires would have been con- 

 trolled at the start providing our observation system had been completed 

 in this locahty, but it is necessary that 7 more stations be estabUshed 

 throughout the central and western part of the State in order to fully 

 protect tliis area. On October 12 there were 166 fires, and for the week end- 

 ing October 17, 384 fires were reported. Owing to the large number of fires 

 at this time, His Excellency the Governor was obliged to declare a close 

 season on game extending to October 17. 



We have maintained the same arrangement of districts as in former 

 years, viz., four districts, each under the supervision of a district forest 

 warden; but owing to our construction work throughout the eastern part 

 of the State being done entirely by the district men, they have been unable 

 to devote as much time to organization work in their several towns as had 

 been hoped. This difficulty will be overcome as our system becomes com- 

 pleted, and we are in hopes that another year will practically finish the 

 construction work. 



The amendment of the forest law relative to the appointment of town 

 forest wardens, allowing such appointments to be made in Januarj^ instead 

 of in March and April, has facilitated the work of this department, as we 

 are enabled to have our lists completed during February and in readiness 

 for spring fires. I am still of the belief that much better results would be 

 accomplished throughout the State if tliis department were to appoint 

 these town forest wardens. We are handicapped in a number of towns by 

 having inefficient wardens who do not have the faculty of handling men 

 and who are not interested in the protection of the forests. I firmly believe 

 that our district men can recommend to this department in the different 

 towns throughout their districts men who have the interests of the Com- 

 monwealth at heart and who would make ideal forest wardens, — men 

 who would co-operate with our observers, perfect a forest fire-fighting 

 organization in their towns, and not only be the means of lessening the 

 expense of extinguishing fires, but also materially reduce the damage. 



