﻿Forest, 
  Fish 
  and 
  Game 
  Commission 
  27 
  

  

  The 
  value 
  of 
  observation 
  stations 
  has 
  been 
  fully 
  demonstrated. 
  

   In 
  a 
  section 
  like 
  the 
  Adirondack^, 
  with 
  so 
  much 
  wild 
  land 
  fre- 
  

   quented 
  by 
  fishermen, 
  hunters, 
  campers 
  and 
  others, 
  it 
  is 
  absolutely 
  

   necessary 
  to 
  have 
  some 
  means 
  of 
  guarding 
  the 
  county 
  at 
  all 
  times 
  

   and 
  getting 
  men 
  to 
  the 
  fires 
  while 
  they 
  are 
  still 
  so 
  small 
  that 
  they 
  

   can 
  be 
  controlled. 
  The 
  former 
  method, 
  waiting 
  until 
  the 
  smoke 
  

   from 
  a 
  fire 
  was 
  so 
  voluminous 
  that 
  it 
  attracted 
  attention 
  several 
  

   miles 
  away, 
  is 
  too 
  precarious 
  and 
  causes 
  not 
  only 
  great 
  property 
  

   losses, 
  but 
  forest 
  destruction. 
  The 
  " 
  smokes 
  " 
  are 
  now 
  observed 
  

   when 
  the 
  fires 
  are 
  in 
  their 
  incipiency 
  and 
  the 
  nearest 
  patrolman 
  

   or 
  supervisor 
  is 
  notified 
  by 
  telephone, 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  the 
  fire 
  may 
  

   be 
  attacked 
  promptly. 
  The 
  cost 
  of 
  construction 
  and 
  maintenance 
  

   is 
  nothing 
  in 
  comparison 
  with 
  the 
  property 
  saved, 
  forest 
  protected 
  

   and 
  reduction 
  in 
  cost 
  of 
  fire 
  fighting. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  stations 
  

   should 
  be 
  increased 
  to 
  at 
  least 
  thirty, 
  all 
  of 
  them 
  properly 
  equipped 
  

   but 
  not 
  all 
  necessarily 
  manned 
  except 
  in 
  periods 
  of 
  danger. 
  

  

  The 
  value 
  of 
  observation 
  stations 
  is 
  easily 
  indicated 
  when 
  one 
  

   considers 
  the 
  great 
  extent 
  of 
  country 
  over 
  which 
  they 
  have 
  range. 
  

   The 
  number 
  of 
  men 
  that 
  would 
  be 
  required 
  to 
  effectually 
  patrol 
  

   the 
  same 
  acreage 
  would 
  be 
  at 
  least 
  twenty 
  times 
  as 
  many. 
  The 
  

   observer 
  quickly 
  perceives 
  the 
  first 
  indications 
  of 
  fire 
  and 
  orders 
  

   men 
  to 
  that 
  point. 
  They 
  are 
  also 
  able 
  to 
  inform 
  the 
  patrolmen 
  as 
  

   to 
  the 
  size 
  and 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  fire 
  and, 
  therefore, 
  the 
  person 
  going 
  

   to 
  the 
  fire 
  can 
  make 
  better 
  arrangements 
  and 
  accomplish 
  much 
  

   better 
  results. 
  

  

  Fallow 
  Fire 
  Law 
  

  

  The 
  fallow 
  fire 
  law 
  should 
  be 
  changed 
  to 
  eliminate 
  " 
  smokes 
  " 
  

   during 
  the 
  fire 
  season 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  to 
  better 
  meet 
  the 
  de- 
  

   mands 
  of 
  land 
  owners 
  who 
  desire 
  to 
  set 
  fires 
  to 
  clear 
  land. 
  At 
  the 
  

   present 
  time, 
  setting 
  fires 
  for 
  the 
  above 
  purpose 
  is 
  prohibited 
  from 
  

   April 
  2 
  1 
  st 
  to 
  May 
  31st, 
  inclusive, 
  a 
  period 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  when 
  

   vegetation 
  is 
  dead; 
  and 
  again 
  from 
  September 
  16th 
  to 
  November 
  

   10th, 
  inclusive, 
  but 
  such 
  fires 
  may 
  be 
  started 
  from 
  June 
  1st 
  to 
  

   September 
  15th, 
  if 
  written 
  permission 
  has 
  been 
  secured. 
  This 
  law 
  

   does 
  not 
  satisfy 
  the 
  land 
  owner 
  because 
  he 
  desires 
  to 
  cut 
  his 
  wood 
  

   during 
  the 
  winter, 
  burn 
  the 
  fallow 
  the 
  coming 
  spring 
  and 
  plant 
  

  

  