accumulation continued for sufficient lengths of time, to 

 make more general and destructive fires than have ever 

 been known, which might consume, at one burning, an em- 

 pire of timber with all other included property and living 

 beings. The danger is increased in proportion to the ex- 

 tent to which the protection against fire is successful by 

 putting out all fires that are started. 



It will be expensive and involve a large amount of labor 

 and care to first clear away the accumulations in the for- 

 ests and then systematically burn over the timberland. This 

 burning over should be done by public authority under the 

 Forestry Department. Systematic burning of underbrush 

 at frequent intervals would save the forests from disas- 

 trous conflagrations. The land owners might reasonably 

 be required. to do all the necessary clearing up to protect the 

 trees, large and small, in advance of the annual or periodic 

 burning carried on by the Government, if other co-opera- 

 tive measures could be entered upon whereby the timber- 

 land owners could afford to carry their lands for future or 

 continuous supply. 



To accomplish any satisfactory results in the way of con- 

 servation will require co-operation between the general gov- 

 ernment, the States, the timber counties and the individual 

 owners of timber lands. This will involve mutual conces- 

 sions in the interest of a wise general policy — a policy which 

 in the end will work out to the advantage of all concerned. 



The most important and greatest redeeming feature in 

 the outlook for a continued supply of lumber is to come 

 through new methods of manufacturing their lumber. These 

 processes will be designed to produce more than double 

 the amount of lumber that will be made under the old 

 wasteful methods. This lumber can be made a substitute 

 that will, for many purposes, fulfill the same requirements 

 as the present form of lumber. It will be, in large part, 

 one-quarter to one-half as thick as the boards now in use. 



