52 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



During the last session of our Legislature, the laws relating to our 

 forest possessions, brought about by public necessity were radically amended 

 in several respects, more particularly in relation to protection from fire 

 with especial attention to railroad rights of way and railroad patrols. The 

 particular features of the amended law of most importance are: 



First. Those which provide for the cutting off of limbs from the tops 

 of coniferous trees when felled, that they and the tops may lie flat down 

 on the ground, gather and retain moisture and soon rot. 



Second. For a paid fire patrol. 



Third. For the construction of observation stations on mountain 

 tops, and telephone lines through the forests connecting up the stations. 



Fourth. That the State pay, in the first instance, all of the expenses 

 of fire fighting, half to be rebated by the towns where fires occur. 



Fifth. Providing that railroad companies pay the whole expense of 

 patrolling their rights of way. 



Sixth. That daily, weekly and monthly reports be made to the 

 department of fires on matters relative thereto. 



Seventh. Making town supervisors part of the fire-fighting force. 

 Under this revised law a very satisfactory result has been obtained, which 

 the following statement will show: 



The results of the operation of the new fire law, which was out- 

 lined in the Commissioner's office before a conference called for that pur- 

 pose, December 29, 1908, up to and including November 5, 1909, are as 

 follows : 



The total damage amounts to about $25,101. 11,967 acres burned 

 over mostly in old burnings. Of this area, 11,769 acres are private hold- 

 ings and 198 acres are State land. Over 250 fires have been reported. 

 In the Adirondacks the damage amounted to $10,251; in the Catskills, 

 $12,875. These figures show a total fire loss for each of the sixteen counties 

 in the forest preserve approximating $1,618.18, as against an average loss 

 for each county of $40,249 last year. In 1908 there were 177,000 acres 

 burned; this year 11,769, nearly all old burnings. In 1908 each fire repre- 

 sented 252.8 acres. Figuring on the present basis of efficiency under the 

 new law, 3,766 fires would have had to occur this year to burn the number 

 of acres 700 fires burned in 1908. In other words, the new system of fire 



