156 Third Annual Report of the 



The cost of the work is reduced by this method, but the risk is 

 much greater than in the first method. 



In the dense forests, characteristic of the mountain regions of 

 New York State, where the land is seldom cut clean and where 

 the soil is of a vegetable character, the conditions are usually such 

 as to render burning impracticable. Even though the piles of 

 brush be burned at the most favorable time, there is bound to be 

 considerable damage done to the surrounding young growth. The 

 method of lopping or cutting off all lateral branches from the top 

 which is left on the ground, ensures the rapid decay of the 

 branches and of the top itself. To secure the best results all lat- 

 eral branches on both the upper and lower sides of the trunk, must 

 be cut off, so that the branches and the trunk itself will lie close to 

 the ground. If the brush is scattered when it is lopped, so that 

 there are no large piles, all branches will lie close to the ground, 

 and their decomposition will be still more rapid. The compara- 

 tively moist ground and weather conditions common to the forest 

 regions of this State, make this method especially advisable. Fur- 

 thermore, the custom of utilizing the timber in the trunk of a tree 

 up to a very small diameter, leaves only a small crown which will 

 not greatly increase the fire hazard if carefully lopped. The cost 

 of lopping by competent men, is from fifteen to twenty-five cents 

 per thousand board feet of timber cut. 



There is no doubt in the minds of observant men that the lop- 

 ping of tops induces a more rapid decay of the brush, and thus 

 tends to reduce the fire danger after three or four years from the 

 time of the lumbering operation. Neither can there be any log- 

 ical refutation of the statement that it is much easier to fight fire 

 on an area where the tops have been lopped, than on one where 

 they have not been so treated. In clearing a line ciround the fire 

 the loose branches may be picked up and tossed to one side without 

 the use of an axe, while a large amount of " swamping " is necse- 

 sary where the ground is covered with unlopped tops. 



It has been argued that on account of the dense mass of in- 

 flammable material close to the ground, a forest fire will at all 

 times of the year become hotter and will damage the soil to a 

 greater extent on areas where the tops have been lopped. Careful 

 examination of this point, as applied to spring fires at least, does 



