FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. 109 



is increasing, and each year more people are availing themselves of the 

 benefits of those great health resorts and receiving pleasure by hunting, 

 fishing and camping. In this manner it is easy to account partly for the 

 increased danger because there are more people in our forests. It is easy 

 to comprehend that increasing the use of our forests at the same time 

 increases the danger from fires. 



There is another matter which must be considered in this connection. 

 Whenever fire burns over a piece of land the chances are greatly increased 

 that it will be burned over again. This is accounted for by the fact that 

 "fires are not likely to originate in the green forest; but if they do start and 

 kill the forest vegetation the chances that it will burn over again are increased 

 probably fifty times, because after a fire occurs a very inflammable growth 

 consisting chiefly of " brakes," fire weed and other plants of a delicate 

 structure which grow profusely, die each year, are pressed flat by the 

 winter's snow, quickly dry in the spring, and furnish the very best kindling 

 for another fire. These fires in dry season spread with almost marvelous 

 rapidity, especially if a strong wind is present. If not checked they soon 

 attain such headway as to be almost beyond control, and not only burn 

 over the former fire area, but often spread into green timber, thus increasing 

 the fire slash. Such in brief is the history of the burned area in our forest 

 sections. 



The severe fires of 1899 occurred in August after a prolonged drought, 

 the critical period lasting only a few weeks. The destructive fires of 1903 

 occurred in the spring of that year and were largely the result of the absence 

 of rain which prevented the development of vegetation and produced a 

 dangerous situation both in regard to control of fires and the chances of 

 new ones starting. Forest fires occur every year in some part of the country 

 and they are always associated with the decrease in rainfall. The season 

 of 1908 will long be remembered in this State on account of the great drought 

 caused by the lack of rain. This drought extended from June to October, 

 inclusive, a period of nearly five months. The woodland fires were nearly 

 all confined to this period, the situation growing more dangerous as the 

 period of drought continued. 



In order to show the deficiency of rainfall the following records have 

 been secured from Mr. L. W. Brown, Co-operative Observer of the United 



