520 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Since the 1st of last March we have secured 16 permissions from the owners of 

 land adjacent to our property in Massachusetts to clear back a strip for say 100 

 feet from our right-of-way fence, and this work has been completed. We hope the 

 new Massacliusetts law which will take effect Jan. 1, 1915, requiring operators to 

 clear back the brush for a distance of 40 feet from our right of way will be of great 

 assistance in keeping down the fire hazard, as a similar law in New Hampshire, 

 with the prescribed distance only 25 feet, has certainly produced good results, and 

 when owners or operators have been clearing the slash we have in many cases per- 

 suaded them to remove it a greater distance than required by law. 



In addition to the customary inspection which is made of the spark arrester and 

 ash pan on all our locomotives, since March 1, 1914, we have requested special 

 inspections made of 433 locomotives reported as setting fires, with the result that 

 only 56 were found to have any defect, most of these being very slight. We mention 

 this only to show that the matter of inspection of locomotives is receiving more 

 than routine attention. 



Last June we placed a "fire warning" card in all of our principal stations and 

 terminals, believing it is absolutely necessary to keep fire prevention constantly 

 before the eyes of the pubhc. While it is difficult for any one to really know how 

 much value there is in publicity, from remarks we have heard, and the many in- 

 quiries we have received from various people, about this subject we feel positive 

 that it is beneficial; for instance, the superintendent of schools in Winchester, Mass., 

 requested a supply of these cards so that the subject could be discussed with and 

 placed before the school children in his town. 



During the past season we have given special attention to improving the patrol 

 service in dangerous sections on our system, and the result has been very gratifying 

 to us. 



During the past year much more effective co-operation has been attained with 

 the towns in the matter of discovering and promptly fighting fires, and we are 

 pleased to speak most highly of the faithful attention of the "lookout" men and 

 the splendid work of the fire wardens. The bills from the towns for fighting fires 

 are now rendered promptly after each fire, properly made out on the standard form, 

 with explanation of the detail, which assists us in approving their payment. Prac- 

 tically every town with which we have had dealings has accepted the rate of 25 

 cents an hour for fighting fires; and all this co-operation and assistance is in a large 

 measure the result of the splendid efforts on the part of your district chiefs. 



Yours truly, 



E. A. Ryder, 

 Commissioner. 



Statement by the Boston & Albany Railroad {New York Central Railroad 



Com-pany, Lessee). 



The Boston & Albany Railroad, during the year 1914, reduced both 

 the number and extent of the fires on its right of way and adjoining prop- 

 erty, the number of fires reported being the smallest since 1908. The 

 co-operation of the employees of the company and the fire wardens in the 

 cities and towTis through which the railroad runs contributed largely to 

 this result. There have been no extensive forest fires along the line of the 

 road during the present year. 



All buildings have been equipped throughout with fire extinguishers 

 of an approved type, hand grenades, fire buckets, with tubs filled with 

 water and painted red and marked "For use in case of fire only." Regular 

 periodical inspection of this equipment is made, and instructions are in 



