BURNS. 1 7 



Evidence of past fires is shown in places by charred stubs, burned 

 butts, and cat faces ; in others by the encroachment of lodgepole pine 

 on areas formerly occupied by yellow pine and Douglas fir; while 

 in still others, where the original forest was entirely destroyed, by 

 a cover of brush and vellum-leaved ceanothus. While yellow pine 

 and Douglas fir will probably in the course of time force themselves 

 through and above the brush, and even reestablish themselves again 

 on the lodgepole areas, the process will of necessity be exceedingly 

 slow, and complete reforestation by natural means will take many 

 years to accomplish. Burned areas will therefore be artificially re- 

 stocked with either sugar pine, yellow pine, or Douglas fir, according 

 to altitude and site, as fast as practicable. Experimental planta- 

 tions have been established at Pelican and Thompson's Creek ranger 

 stations, to determine the possibility of raising hardwood forests in 

 the region included within the Crater Forest. The plantations were 

 started in May, 1909, and the species planted were shagbark hickory, 

 pignut hickory, and black walnut. So far, all the species are doing 

 well. 



THE FIRES OF 1910. 



The summer of 1910, an unusually dry one, witnessed an unprece- 

 dented number of fires upon the Crater Forest. Thirty-seven severe 

 fires gained a start at different times during the dry season and 

 burned over areas ranging from 25 to 32,768 acres, and totaling 

 60,891 acres, before they were subdued. Some of them were con- 

 fined to brush areas, but all told they killed on the Forest 250,000,000 

 feet b. m. of merchantable timber. In addition, 75 small fires, rang- 

 ing from abandoned camp fires to areas of 5 acres, were extinguished 

 by rangers in the regular course of their patrol work. 



A large part, perhaps a majority, of all the fires are believed to 

 have originated from carelessness on the part of hunters and campers. 

 Unfortunately, the open season for game in southern Oregon begins 

 on August 1 and brings many persons into the mountains at a time 

 when the fire danger is greatest. If the open season had begun on 

 September 15, instead of on the 1st of August, it is safe to say that 

 the number of fires which originated on the Forest would have been 

 less by from 30 to 40 per cent. Other fires originated outside the 

 Forest and swept across the boundary before a sufficient force could 

 be gathered to check them, while still others, and not an inconsider- 

 able number, were the result of malicious intent. The areas burned 

 in and near the Forest during the summer of 1910 are shown upon 

 the accompanying map. 



The starting of so many fires, often several at practically the same 

 time in widely separated places, made it impossible for the small 

 force of rangers and guards to cope with the situation successfully. 

 At the beginning of the danger season the force upon the Forest 



