444 FIEE-CONSERVANCY. 



(a) Trace following the crest of a main ridge. — Where the crest 

 is broad and flat and more or less horizontal, the work of firing it 

 will not differ in any essential particular from the procedure to be 

 followed On level ground. But where the crest is narrowed into a 

 more or less sharp edge forming the middle line of the trace, only 

 a single inner line of fire along this sharp edge should be lit, 

 whichever way the wind may blow, and even if the air be quite 

 still. If the slopes on only one side of the ridge are to be pi"otect- 

 ed, no line will be lit along the crest, should a very violent cross 

 wind be blowing from the other side. It must not be forgotten 

 that if the ridge is very sharp or one side of it is scarped, the 

 highest line of the ridge will form one side of the trace. 



(b) Trace following the crest of a spur. — This case differs from 

 the preceding only in that the trdce would here run for the whole 

 of its length on more or less steep gradients, and should for this 

 reason be fired from the top downwards. Otherwise the procedure 

 is the same. 



(c) Trace running along the bottom of a long gulley or ravine. — 

 Here, as a rule, one side of the trace will be flanked by a water- 

 coui'se. The firing should begin at the highest point. No inner 

 line of fire is required. As soon as the fire from the guide line 

 has burnt down far enough, the grass on the edge of the water- 

 course should be fired. If there is no watercourse, its place along 

 the drainage line should be taken by the second guide line, which 

 will now be required. 



(d) Trace running up a more or less flat hillside. — On easy 

 slopes the procedure will be the same as that on level ground, 

 except that the firing must begin at the highest point. But the 

 ground may become too steep to permit of any inner paralled line 

 of fire being lit, in which case a zigzag path should be made cut- 

 ting across the trace from side to side, and, in order to help the 

 broom-men on the lee side of the trace, an inner line of fire should 

 be run along that side of the path. Where the ground is very 

 rough or steep, the path will often help the men to reach the more 

 inaccessible portions of the guide line. In case the fire is to be 

 allowed to spread away on one side, this path should obviously lie 

 to windward of the guide line, if the wind blows towards the area 

 to be preserved ; and it will itself become the single guide line 

 required, if the wind blows away from that area. The extent to 

 which the path should zigzag will of course depend on the steep- 

 ness of the hillside. 



