19 



parison. But these points will be discussed later. 



The Porest Serrice, in 1919. carried out a Light 

 Burning experiment in California on the Plumas Nat- 

 ional -"orest. Forest Service officials in interpret- 

 ing the results of this test concluded that Light Bur- 

 ning as a method of fire protection was a failure. 

 Following this, in 1920, the Southern Pacific Company 

 advocated the cooperative experimental "burning of a 

 tract of 80,00 acres, this area consisting of contig- 

 uous holdings of the government (39^) i the Southern 

 Pacific Company (26^), and other individuals and cor- 

 porations {.35%)* The Forest Service, believing that 

 it had conclusively proved that Light Burning was not 

 a worth-while means of protection of forests from fire, 

 did not care to engage in this eooperative experiment- 

 al burning. Consequently, it was never carried out. 



The Light Burning Committee 



Finally, in 1920, there was appointed a committee 

 known as the Light Burning Committee, composed of one 

 representative each from the Southern Pacific Company, 

 the State Forester's Office, the University of Calif- 

 ornia Forest School and the United States Forest Ser- 

 vice. Mr. William C. Hodge, Jr., a trained forester 

 formerly with the Forest Service, was chosen chairman 

 of the committee. The object of this committee is to 

 formulate a system of fire protection that, within re- 



