140 THE CANADIAN FORESTER's 



of a party of travellers {voyageurs), too, should be made 

 responsible for bush-fires caused by his men, and punished 

 by fine, as the direct author of the fire should be punished 

 by imprisonment. We must also look after the locomo- 

 tives, and compel railroad companies to employ wire- 

 gauze nets, to prevent the sparks from being carried 

 about by the wind, spreading fire far and near. The 

 companies will, of course, be made responsible for dam- 

 ages caused by their negligence, and this in addition to 

 the direct punishment, by imprisonment, of the imme- 

 diate author of the fire. 



Means of arresting the fire when once started. — Means 

 must be found to combat the flames, when a fire has, in 

 spite of all precautions, once started. The first is to 

 draw a ditch, two feet deep by three or four wide, 

 surrounding the fire, throwing out the earth on that side 

 of the ditch which is next the fire. If water can be led 

 into the ditch from a brook or river, the work will be 

 perfect. Earth, too, should be thrown over the leaf- 

 strown ground at the borders of the fire ; a belt of trees 

 cut down ; and, if possible, another opposing fire should 

 be lighted to fight the original one. Plenty of energy, 

 plenty of men, and, above all, an eye decisive and sure. 

 The forest-guardians should be empowered to engage as 

 many men as may be necessary to oppose the fire, and 

 even to compel the neighbours to assist. 



This is almost all that can be done in the circumstances 

 under consideration. 



And, now, let us condense this important chapter into 

 a few lines. 



The causes of bush-fires are : the fires lighted by men 

 engaged in clearing the land, by voyageurs, and by loco- 

 motives. To put a stop to them, we must begin by 

 clearing away all the wastage of the fall of timber ; we 



