Conservation Commission 99 



therefore, they are a fire danger for years. This operation has 

 greatly increased the danger from forest fires, both as to their 

 origin and spread. This Commission is, under the statute, charged 

 with the protection of both State and private lands. If conditions 

 of this kind are to be created, it will be impossible to maintain 

 efficient fire protection. The State itself being a large land owner, 

 whose holdings are intermixed with those of private parties, is 

 vitally interested from the standpoint of protection of its prop- 

 erty. I believe that steps should be taken to prohibit the practice 

 of peeling spruce bark and leaving the material in the woods as 

 is practised at present. If the land owners desire protection from 

 fire they must not create such inflammable conditions and then 

 expect that fires can be prevented and controlled. 



One of the large fires of the season was started by a paper 

 balloon. Similar fires have been caused in other years. Instruc- 

 tions were issued to all mountain observers to remain on their 

 stations the Fourth of July evening to detect such fires. The fire 

 risk caused by these balloons is very <n- e at ; and their use should 

 be prohibited. 



FOREST PRODUCTS 



The statute requires that the Superintendent of State Forests 

 shall compile each year statistics showing the amount of lumber 

 manufactured and wood used for commercial purposes from tim- 

 ber grown in the State, and shall report the same to the Commis- 

 sion. Owing to the fact that the compilation of these figures in- 

 volves a large amount of labor and that many mills operate 

 throughout the year, such information is not received at the office 

 until the beginning of the following year, therefore, the statistics, 

 which are submitted herewith, are for the calendar year 1912. 



Statistics 



The following table indicates the quantities of lumber and pulp- 

 wood cut within the State classified by species, also the number 

 of mills reporting particular kinds of lumber : 



