UTAH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 47 
appreciated by the public. There is malicious intent in 
but very few cases. Therefore, an educational campaign 
on the danger of fire to the valuable mature timber and the 
young growth is productive of much good. After fires 
start the best thing is to be in a position to attack them be- 
fore they gain headway. Rapid means of communication 
and transportation are essential as well as adequate amount 
of men and firefighting tools. 
The hopeless features of forest fires receive most 
notice because it is the large conflagrations which attract 
attention. A large fire with a wind behind it can rarely 
be stopped during the day with any amount of men and 
tools but it can often be narrowed down and at night when 
low can be surrounded. The damage from large fires is 
reduced and countless small fires which are never known 
are prevented from gaining headway. 
Another side of the fire problem is the effect on the 
forest. Two great changes in conditions are made by fire: 
Ist, light; 2nd, seedbed. The complete light favors, tem- 
porarily, pure stands of light demanding species while 
the changed seedbed conditions favor still other species. 
A profound change may therefore be made in the com- 
position and quality of the forest by fire. This change of 
forest types has been little studied and our virgin forests 
offer a fascinating field for original investigation. 
REFORESTATION. 
Perhaps the most popular and easily understood branch 
of forestry is reforestation or tree planting. In some 
quarters forestry really means little else. The reproduc- 
tion of future stands is a vital problem and in this region 
a difficult one. It is accomplished by two methods, natural 
and artificial. The first by systems of cutting at proper 
times merely aids and accelerates what takes place nat- 
urally in the virgin stands. The second deals with sow- 
ing and planting—strictly artificial means. It is the latter 
which is the most important in the popular conception and 
concerns us chiefly here. 
