the preceding ones, for the wound that it in- 

 flicted healed in half a century. 



Higher and more stately the tree grew, and in 

 1729 it attained the age of two thousand years. 

 At the age of two thousand and eighty-eight 

 years the fourth fire attacked it. This fire 

 burned an eighteen-foot scar upon the trunk of 

 the old tree. In 1900, after the lapse of almost 

 a century, only a small part of this wound was 

 overgrown. This year, 1900, came the reaper, 

 the axeman, who laid low this aged and monu- 

 mental tree! 



What starts forest fires? Some are started by 

 lightning; others are kindled by meteors that are 

 flung from the sky, or by fire that is hurled or 

 poured from a volcano; a few are caused by 

 spontaneous combustion; and many are set by 

 man. Down through the ages primitive and 

 civilized men have frequently set fire to the 

 forest. These fires are set sometimes acciden- 

 tally, sometimes intentionally. The forest has 

 been fired to drive out game, to improve pas- 

 turage, to bewilder the enemy during war, and 

 to clear the land for the plow. 



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