318 



OUR FORESTS 



millions, have been due to smokers, to railroads, or to carelessness 

 in making camp fires in the woods. It is estimated that fires have 

 destroyed nearly 12,000,000 acres of forest and caused a money 

 damage of over $17,000,000 a year. In the past great forest fires 

 have devastated Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan with a loss 

 of thousands of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars. In 

 addition to the loss in timber, the fires often burn out the organic 

 matter in the soil (the '^ duff ") forming the forest floor, thus 

 preventing the growth of new forests for many years to come. 



Effect of forest fire. 



The United States Forest Service and the state forestry depart- 

 ments are constantly on guard against forest fires. Fire lookouts 

 are established at places most favorable for observation of large 

 areas. If a fire starts, notice is sent at once to the forest rangers 

 in that locality so that the fire may be put out before it spreads. 

 State and Federal governments alike do their best to protect our 

 forests. We must do our share in this work by taking care with 

 camp fires or bonfires when we are in the woods. 



Other Enemies. — Other enemies of the forest are numerous 

 fungus plants, insect parasites which bore into the wood or destroy 

 the leaves, and grazing animals. The chestnut blight is an 

 example of a fungus parasite which it has seemed impossible to 

 combat. It has killed most of the chestnut trees in the eastern 

 states and has gone as far south as the Carolinas. Our only hope 

 for the chestnut appears to be in finding some chestnuts that are 



