538 



Canadian Forestry Journal. May, ipi6. 



of fires caused by settlers and by 

 locomotives; and the co-operation 

 which the railroads have given dur- 

 ing the past season and the interest 

 displayed in better equipped loco- 

 motive stacks is evidence that fires 

 from this source will annually de- 

 crease in numbers. 



Tlie Benefit of Patrol. 

 The number of fires on lands list- 

 ed with the Association numbers 

 but 36, while the balance, 62, occur- 

 red on lands not listed for patrol, 

 but which, having occurred, were 

 taken care of by the wardens. The 

 acreage burned over on member- 

 ship lands totals 4,904. and that of 

 the non-listed lands. 8,186; while the 

 losses to the membership total 

 $7,064.17 as against $1,682.13. These 

 figures present an interesting illus- 

 tration inasmuch as the non-listed 

 lands — although in many cases be- 

 longing to members of the Associa- 

 tion — are composed largely of plains 

 and slashings, the very localities 

 where fires are most apt to occur. 

 Fires occurring in such locations na- 

 turally travel more rapidly owing 

 to the influence of wind, and con- 

 sequently burn a greater area, with 

 losses very much less, due to the 

 fact, of course, that there is little of 

 value to be destroyed. 



Publicity Features. 



The publicity features, which 

 have brought so much attention to 

 the Protective Association in years 

 past, have been used and added to 

 in several ways, among the most im- 

 portant being the publication of the 

 report of the annual meeting of 1915 

 in booklet form, largely as a text 

 book on spark arresting devices ; the 

 posting of notices of new design, 

 the distribution of several thousand 

 pamphlets of the Game & Fish laws 

 with proper forest fire notices, and 

 the preparation of a course of ten 

 lectures on Forest Fire Prevention 

 to be issued to a mailing list of prac- 

 tically one thousand woodsmen. 



The Secretary-Forester advocated 

 the addition of a number of cars 



for Association service and showed 

 by comparison with other places 

 the feasibility and economy of such' 

 a course. 



Equipment of Forestry Battalion 



When the 224th Overseas Bat- 

 talion paraded recently in Ottawa, 

 for inspection by his Royal High- 

 ness the Governor-General, the 

 equipment carried by the members 

 of the l)attalion created considerable 

 discussion among lumbermen in Ot- 

 tawa and elsewhere. We have heard 

 several lumbermen discussing this 

 matter and in order to explain the 

 affair we have made enquiry of the 

 Officer Commanding. It will be re- 

 called that, upon that occasion, the 

 Forestry Battalion paraded with 

 various implements, among which 

 were broad-axes. As broad-axes are 

 used for squaring timber, and as the 

 Forestry Battalion will probably be 

 employed chiefly in the felling of 

 timl^er and have little or no squar- 

 ing to do, there was some criticism 

 about this equipment, a few lumber- 

 men going so far as to intimate that 

 the carrying of broad-axes laid the 

 battalion open to ridicule. 



The officer commanding, referring 

 t(j this subject, says : — "Your infor- 

 mation as to part of the implements 

 which our battalion carried during 

 this parade is quite correct, but they 

 carried also peavies, camp-dogs, 

 cross-cut saws. etc. This parade 

 was not intended to show what im- 

 plements they should carry, but 

 mere!}' for inspection by his Royal 

 Highness the Governor-General. 

 Our equipment altogether will be 

 that used in the lumber industry in 

 Canada and therefore, this parade 

 cannot be tak-en as affording any ex- 

 ample of the equipment we will 

 carry abroad." 



The 224th Forestry Battalion has 

 made quite a record in recruiting, 

 haAing, in about one month secured 

 some 1,800 men. — (Canada Lumber- 

 man.) 



