68 



RESOURCES OF TENNESSEE. 



man can exercise as much judgment and show as much business ability 

 in managing his timber as in any other phase of his work. 



Fire damage to trees. One of the chief ways of protecting woodlands 

 is to keep fires out of them. Every other kind of property subject to fire 

 damage has more fire protection than timber. When buildings catch on 

 fire the alarm spreads rapidly and aid comes from all directions. In the 

 country, town, or city the cry for help from fire has a ready response, and 

 every effort is made to save life and property, since there exists a strong 

 sentiment against loss by fire from buildings and their contents. 



On the other hand, the boiling smoke of a forest fire rolls up from the 

 woods, or mountain side; no alarm is given by shout nor bell; no crowd 



FIG. 1. Showing a stand of young oaks, 15-20 years old, near Tracy City, and 

 the forest conditions where fires have not occurred for several years. 



nor firemen rush to the scene. Men and women go on about their busi- 

 ness. Some look at it indifferently, others gaze with admiration at the 

 size and brilliancy of the flames, or the enormous clouds of smoke rolling 

 heavily upward. They may not feel that damage is being done, because 

 they do not realize the injury to forests from fire. They may not care, 

 but yet they are gazing upon a source of destruction from which the people 

 of the State suffer an immense loss every year. The injury is of such a 

 nature that it does not come as close to us as that from loss of other prop- 

 erty. For example, we live in our houses built especially for our com- 



