108 Second Annual Report of the 



2. That fires could be fought easier in unlopped tops than 

 lopped tops. 



3. That a fire would burn faster in lopped tops than in un- 

 lopped tops, and therefore burn over a greater area in the same 

 length of time. 



4. That unlopped tops decay and consequently disappear 

 sooner than lopped ones. 



5. That unlopped tops cast more shade on the ground. 



6. That lopped tops do not cause moister soil conditions. 



7. That lopped tops seriously interfere with the reproduction 

 on a cut-over area. 



8. That the operator should be reimbursed for his increased 

 outlay if tops are to be lopped. 



9. The cost of lopping is too great. 



10. That the law was unconstitutional, inasmuch as it caused 

 a private individual to spend money for something that accomp- 

 lished no public benefit. 



11. That the tops could be lopped to a given diameter limit, 

 say three inches, and produce the same result at a decreased cost. 



The opinions brought out were so conflicting and the idea was 

 so emphasized that the law had not been in effect long enough to 

 reach a final conclusion, and that more complete information 

 should be secured by field excursions, that Forester Gaylord, 

 together with various fire rangers, lumbermen and others, spent 

 nearly ten days examining carefully into the various conditions 

 of lopped and unlopped tops and the fire danger. 



The tracts visited were as follows: The Taggart Paper Com- 

 pany's, the Brandreth Preserve, Ne-ha-sa-ne Park, the Whitney 

 Preserve, the lands of P. X. Blake near Joe Indian pond, and 

 the Santa Clara Lumber Company's holdings. Nearly all con- 

 ditions and ages of lopped and unlopped tops were also inspected. 



The points raised will be discussed in the order above stated. 



Objection 1. That the soil burned much deeper in the case of 

 a fire running through lopped tops as against unlopped tops where 

 the fire occurred one to three years after the cutting. In the 

 case of the fire at Sperry pond on the Whitney tract, it was 

 shown most decidedly that fires which occur in the early spring 



