106 QUALIFICATIONS OF FORESTERS. 



burned a day or two. We saw this demonstration in last year's forest 

 fires. Some of these burned two days before any force reached them, 

 and one at least five days. The ineffective system of last year still 

 prevails. It is the plan of one ranger to a district, without checks, 

 without signals, and who is expected to look up, outside of the 

 mountains, a lot of men to help him. A patrol of trained men, having 

 forestry in view for a career, with a signal system and patrolling in 

 fair sized numbers together, can deal effectively with forest fires. The 

 present system can never do it. 



TORRENT STUDY. The forest officers will be under the neces- 

 sity of dealing with this serious question as they have in Southern 

 France. Extinction of the torrent by re-forestation will come next 

 to torrent prevention by protecting the forests. Palliative measures 

 will also have to be studied in the matter of dykes, their height and 

 width, diversion, etc., as outlined in the chapter on Torrents. 



SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS FOR FORESTER. 



What must a forester know to be efficient in Southern California? 

 We may summarize the answer to this as follows: Know forest trees 

 from each other, and their species and range; know fertile seed of 

 forest trees; know how to plant and rear them in nursery form and 

 in the open; know how to transplant and secure free growth on the 

 mountains; know how to measure standing or cut timber, and how 

 it should be cut for commercial purposes to secure the reproduction of 

 the forest, and to prevent even temporary injury to water-sheds; 

 know how to dispose of lumbering waste or fallen timber as a pre- 

 caution against fire; know the effects of forest on rainfall delivery; 

 (this includes the good effects of forests on the perpetuity of springs 

 and streams, and the evil effects of forest destruction on flood and 

 torrent action); know how to limit and extinguish forest fires; know 

 the signal system; know the trails, roads, natural fire-breaks and wa- 

 ter supply of his reserves; know how to make a trail; know what 

 supplies are the least required for exigencies, and how to cook them; 

 know how to pack tools and supplies on such animals as may be 

 available for the character of country to be traversed; (burros are 

 considered the most useful all-round mountain pack animals); know 

 about game and fish in his district; know the laws governing forest 

 fires, game and fish, and forest user and occupation; know how to 

 take care of the physique so as to be fit for work; know how to 

 advise or direct property owners in tree plantations, either in the 



