No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 281 



fill, because forest fires are the greatest obstacle to the advance- 

 ment of practical forestry in this Commonwealth, and because 

 they form one of the most difficult problems with which we are 

 obliged to deal; jet for these very reasons this chapter cannot 

 be omitted from this book. 



The subject of forest fires has been most vividly presented 

 to the people of the United States during the past summer by 

 the disastrous fires which raged in the northwest. We in our 

 little State cannot experience such enormous conflagrations as 

 these; yet the fire demon each year lays its insidious claws on 

 a valuable portion of our natural heritage. 



Last year 215 of the 354 towns and cities of the Common- 

 wealth reported that they had 1,385 forest fires; 28, or 8.6 

 per cent., said that they had none; and 92, or 27.7 per cent., 

 failed to report. There are IS towns and cities which have little 

 or no forest land, and therefore do not appoint forest wardens. 

 On account of the large number of towns not reporting, we 

 may be sure that the figures which we have are very conserva- 

 tive. The wardens reported that these fires damaged the wood- 

 land to the extent of $205,383. As we have emphasized in our 

 previous reports, the figures for money damage are very inade- 

 quate, as many wardens will not report the damage, because 

 they feel incapable of estimating it; and even when they try, 

 they cannot set a value on the young growth killed and the 

 gradual deterioration of the soil. In the cost of fighting fires, we 

 have data which is not a matter of guesswork, although this is in- 

 complete, because in towns and cities having an organized fire 

 department, where the members are paid a regular salary, the 

 cost of fighting woodland fires of course cannot be obtained. 

 In 1905 the State Forester made a careful canvass of all the 

 towns, and came to the conclusion that the annual cost of fight- 

 ing fires was about $30,000. Our figures would seem to indicate 

 that this conclusion was correct. When we spread this sum 

 over the 300 towns in the State, it does not make a very large 

 sum for each individual community; but it must be remem- 

 bered that this expense is borne in large part by a few towns, 

 and usually the poorest and least able to bear it. An annual 

 bill of $1,000 for forest-fire fighting is a serious burden on a 

 town whose entire yearly ex]ieiiditure may not amount to more 



