Report of superintendent of Forests 

 for the ^ear 1^05 



Hon. James S. Whipple, Forest, Fish and Game Commissioner: 



SIR. — In compliance with a requirement of the State Forestry Law, I 

 respectfully submit herewith my annual report on the forest fires 

 which have occurred in the Adirondack and Catskill counties during 

 the calendar year just past. In addition, I submit for your consideration 

 a report on various other matters incidental to the exercise of the powers 

 and duties conferred on this Department. 



Forest Fires 



The forest fires were comparatively few in number, and the damage, in 

 view of the losses in other years, was slight. The number of fires, including 

 incipient ones which were quickly extinguished, amounted to 79 in the 

 Adirondacks; and 47 in the Catskills. In most of these, little or no damage 

 was done to standing timber, the fire running only in the dead leaves on the 

 ground, or over some open pieces of pasture and waste land. The causes 

 as reported by the fire-wardens were as follows: 



Railroad locomotives . .31 



Tobacco smokers 18 



Hunters 10 



Fishermen 2 



Clearing land 8 



Burning rubbish 3 



Burning brush 1 



Burning grass 1 



Buildings on fire 6 



Incendiary . 5 



56 



