84 THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



The number of fires caused by farmers who were burning brush to 

 clear land has decreased materially, owing to the vigorous enforcement 

 of the law which prohibits the use of fire for this purpose in forest towns 

 during certain months. In 1903 it became necessary to -fine 64 persons 

 for burning their fallows during the close season, the penalties that year 

 amounting in all to $1,990. The number of violations of this section of 

 our forestry law has decreased each year since then, and in 1907 there were 

 only eight cases, each of which was prosecuted successfully. The fines 

 imposed in these eight cases varied from $10 to $35, amounting in all to $154. 



In August several fires started along the railroad lines, for the extreme 

 drought during that month made the sparks from the locomotives more 

 dangerous than usual. But this will always be the case in dry seasons 

 until the railroads are equipped with electric power, or use petroleum for 

 fuel in their engines as is done on the Raquette Lake Railway. On that 

 line no fires whatever have occurred since the road was built. 



The railroad fires last August near Tupper Station and Loon Lake 

 caused but little damage aside from the expense of extinguishing them, 

 the facts not justifying the serious attention given to them by the news- 

 papers. The fire near Tupper Lake was confined to a swamp that was 

 burned over years ago, and in which there was scarcely a live tree of any 

 size left standing ; and the one at Loon Lake was also on burned land from 

 which all valuable timber had been removed. The cost to the town and 

 State in attending to these fires was materially lessened by the action of 

 the railroad companies, the New York Central sending 24 section men to 

 assist at Tupper Lake, and the Delaware and Hudson Company sending 

 39 men and a foreman from Plattsburg to help the firewarden at Loon Lake. 



The worst fire caused by the railroads occurred August 13th in the 

 town of Queensbury, Warren county, on the line of the Delaware & Hudson 

 Railroad, at a place three miles south of Lake George. About 200 acres 

 of timber land were burned over, and in extinguishing this fire the men 

 worked in all 70 days. 



Still, in view of the dry summer, there were less fires along the rail- 

 road lines than we expected. Patrols were maintained on dangerous 

 grades, and the inspectors watched the locomotives carefully for 

 defective screens. On complaint of the inspectors three locomotives 



