REPORT ON FORESTS. 269 
and railroads, are necessary. Railroad companies should be 
required to construct lanes, broad and clean enough along their 
tracks, to eliminate all danger from flying sparks, to ditch all 
swamp-lands to water or sand on the outer edge of the lane, and 
to constantly use efficient spark-arresters on their engines. The 
townships should be required to construct similar lanes along 
all public roads. In this way, what are now points of danger, 
from which the majority of fires start, would become avenues 
for the prevention of its spread, and would serve at the same 
time as vantage points in combatting it. Whenever possible 
these fire-lanes should be kept under cultivation, in other places 
the brush * should be cut, and all combustible materials burned 
at a time when there is no danger of setting fire to the adjoining 
woods. The usual method of extinguishing extensive fires is 
by “back-firing” or “counter-firing.” This is, however, dan- 
gerous work, and should not be attempted save by those who 
are experienced and capable. Very often the back-fires, set by 
inexperienced, excited persons, have not only resulted in disas- 
trous conflagrations, but have rendered the skillful work of others 
of no avail. For the extinguishment of surface-fires, shovels, 
sand and hard work are usually sufficient. Fortunately, sand is 
everywhere plentiful, except in swamps. It is often possible to 
beat out surface-fires with a green bough or bush. In the extin- 
guishment of ground-fires, or those which burn in the peat of 
swamps, it is necessary to confine them within certain limits by 
digging deep trenches. 
Formerly charcoal burners set fire to the forest in order to be 
able to purchase it cheaply, by rendering it unfit for any other 
purpose than coal wood. The charcoal industry is done, but the 
natives still fire the huckleberry-bush to produce fresh shoots on 
which the finer berries grow. Berry-picking is an important 
industry, and the occurrence of such fires is common. The main 
differences between the conditions existing in Southern New 
Jersey and the peninsula between the Chesapeake and the Dela- 
* The “‘ Esterel,”’ a region of France not far from Cannes, is famous for the elaborate fire measures 
which are in force there. It is a mountainous district, thinly covered with pine and cork-oak and 
extremely susceptible to fire, which causes great havoc when the very violent wind, called mistral» 
blows. I visited it a few years ago and was surprised to find that, in addition to the formation of many 
fire-lanes, the removal of underbrush, observation posts, telephone, perfectly organized patrols, etc., 
that they burn over patches of the surface every year from December to February with the object of 
preventing the growth of weeds and underbrush and the lation of ible litter, Little by 
little the whole area is burned over in this way. 
