56 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



Although the law has been in effect for only one year, it appears 

 to be working satisfactorily, due in part to its elasticity, and in part 

 to the provision of more adequate machinery for enforcement. The 

 Forest Rangers are given authority to act directly, on behalf of the 

 State Forester, and they prescribe the measures to be taken in each case, 

 after a careful consideration of all the conditions on the ground. 



The object of slash disposal is to eliminate the fire danger. The 

 methods adopted have a three-fold purpose : (i) To remove the im- 

 mediate fire danger ; (2) to prevent injury to standing timber remaining 

 on the cut-over area or adjacent to it ; and (3) on land which is not 

 to be used for agriculture, to prevent the clean burning over of the land, 

 thus preserving the young growth, the tree seed already on the ground, 

 and the ground cover and soil itself.* 



As in the Adirondacks, burning is generally considered impracti- 

 cable in spruce and cedar, and lopping is the standard procedure. 

 In pine, piling and burning are prescribed under ordinary conditions. 

 The exercise of much judgment is, however, necessary, in determining 

 the procedtue for any specific tract, since conditions vary so widely. 

 As a general guide, the following rules were agreed upon at a meeting 

 of the district rangers held at Bemidji, Minn., January 3rd, 1912 :* 



(i) "Where trees are scattered, or the coimtry is generally 

 very rough and rocky, clean biuming is inadvisable. In such 

 cases, a fire line of at least 150 feet in width should be burned 

 around each area of slash, and along rights-of-way." This rule 

 is based upon the theory that, where the trees are widely scattered, 

 their brush will not constitute a serious fire danger. Clean burning 

 woiild entail a needless expense upon operators. The second part ■ 

 of this rule is based upon the theory that the rocky coimtry would 

 be non-agricultural, hence, forest land. Clean burning would 

 effect to a greater or less extent the destruction of what meager 

 ground cover is usually found in such rocky country, and, in some 

 cases the soil itself, of valuable reproduction and any timber that 

 might remain, and of seeds which have fallen to the ground. To 

 reduce this destruction to a minimum is one of the fundamental 

 principles upon which slash disposal is carried out, hence the rule. 

 Another point to be considered here is that the unbumed brush 

 retards evaporation of soil moisture. Also, in decajdng, the debris 

 adds to the valuable humus. Where slash from a thick stand of 

 timber, even if on non-agricultural land and surrounded by a 

 fire-break, will in future be a menace to adjoining green timber not 

 to be cut, this rule is often extended to include clean burning. The 

 latter is usually required to be done as cutting proceeds, in order 

 that damage to the soU, young timber, and seed, may be avoided 

 in so far as possible. 



"First Annual Report of State Forester of Minnesota, 1911, pages 67 and 69. 



