93* 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Dec. 12, 1908. 
weight. The result clearly proved that as a 
rule the guns of any bore, which made similar 
patterns at forty yards, had similar killing 
circles at 20. The only difference was that with 
the same load of shot the 12-gauges required 
about three grains more of smokeless powder 
than the 16, to give the same velocity, and the 
latter about two grains more than the 20-gauges. 
I have extracted from the report of the trials 
the following details of the guns of the three 
gauges which made patterns as nearly as possi¬ 
ble alike. The patterns are the average of ten 
shots with each barrel. 
LOADED WITH 
ONE OUNCE 
OF NO. 6 SHOT AND POW- 
DER 
TO GIVE THE SAME VELOCITY 
IN ALL THE GUNS. 
In kill- Width of 
In 30in. circle 
ing circle 
killing circle 
Gauge. 
at 40yds. 
at 20 yds. 
at 20 yds.—inches. 
12 
100 
217 
30 
16 
103 
199 
33 
20 
100 
214 
33 
12 
106 
226 
30 
16 
103 
226 
33 
20 
104 
217 
30 
12 
109 
212 
30 
16 
113 
231 
30 
20 
108 
237 
26 
12 
115 
244 
30 
16 
121 
219 
30 
20 
118 
251 
26 
12 
127 
244 
30 
16 
130 
247 
30 
20 
129 
249 
26 
... 12 
142 
251 
22 
16 
145 
237 
26 
20 
142 
255 
26 
12 
147 
207 
26 
16 
149 
238 
26 
20 
147 
251 
26 
12 
170 
230 
26 
. 16 
170 
254 
°2 
20 
165 
258 
26 
WITH SEVEN-EIGHTHS OUNCE SHOT. 
12 
102 
203 
33 
16 
102 
193 
30 
20 
104 
217 
26 
12 
106 
177 
30 
16 
110 
208 
30 
20 
107 
205 
30 
12 
112 
218 
30 
1 G 
111 
205 
30 
20 
112 
202 
26 
12 
140 
208 
26 
16 
142 
209 
26 
20 
140 
209 
26 
12 
147 
207 
26 
16 
146 
205 
26 
20 
146 
. 214 
26 
12 
156 
225 
22 
16 
157 
220 
22 
20 
146 
214 
26 
One of 
the most 
noted London makers told 
me that small-bores require rather 
stocks than twelves to fit properly. 
straighter 
J. J. Meyrick. 
Coahoma Wants to Know. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
It is observed of late that “quite a few” of 
your contributors, whose epistolary work is 
otherwise unexceptionable, have fallen into the 
fad of using the expression “quite a few.” An 
attempt to analyze the quotation leads to some 
confusion of ideas in my mind, with doubts 
as to the fewness of “quite a few,” and whether 
“quite a few” are fewer than a few. As the 
fewness of “quite a few” is emphasized by the 
quite, it seems to follow that the fewness of 
“quite a few” should be fewer than a few, and 
it is opined that few do apprehend how much 
fewer than a few are “quite a few.” The ques¬ 
tion raised is, how few are “quite a few,” and 
how much fewer are “quite a few” than a few? 
Any light on this profound and puzzling ques¬ 
tion will be gratefully received. Coahoma. 
Fire Breaks in Essex County. 
Elizabethtown, N. Y., Dec. 5 . —Editor Forest 
and Stream: I send herewith an article which 
has appeared in the Elizabethtown Post. Some¬ 
thing has got to be done between now and next 
summer’s dry time, or else the Adirondack 
wilderness will again suffer. Precautionary 
measures and removing causes which have pro¬ 
duced direful results are the only way of es¬ 
cape. We must get out of the rut. 
The Adirondack Mountain Reserve, a corpo¬ 
ration owning a large tract of choice timber 
land in the towns of Keene and North Hudson, 
has commenced the construction of a firebreak 
on its property. As a trial project in this di¬ 
rection it is proposed to clear a strip of land _ 
of all brush and dead trees, fallen or standing, 
sixteen feet in width, including also the dead 
timber outside of the strip which might fall 
across the same in times of fire. All green, 
thrifty trees six inches in diameter or over are 
to be left in their natural state as far as prac¬ 
ticable. The brush, dead timber and rubbish 
resulting from the cutting to be piled and 
burned on the line when snow is on the ground 
Along the center of the cleared line a trench is 
to be dug three feet wide on the surface and 
deep enough to expose the mineral soil or 
rock after the duff, moss and inflammable ma¬ 
terial are removed. 
Work on such a firebreak is already under 
way along the northern boundary of the re¬ 
serve’s territory in Keene, and the line will be 
extended on to the Wolf-Jaw range, so called, 
lying between the Ausable and Johns Brook 
valleys. The late falls of snow have proved to 
be no hindrance to the work, but the opposite, 
as conditions are made favorable and safe for 
doing necessary burning as the cutting goes on. 
The reserve men. realizing the recent dis¬ 
astrous results from forest fires in various parts 
of the Adirondacks, are compelled to believe 
that something should and must be done for 
protection in advance. Although the firebreak 
has not heretofore been tested in this State, the 
advantages of their proposed method may be 
readily foreseen. The cleared strip with trench 
presents first, a break to a running fire from two 
ways at least. It also gives a defined line 
through the woods and on mountains upon 
which fire fighters may make a stand and set 
back-fires to meet the approaching flames. It 
offers the further advantage to an open, cleared 
way over which workmen may pass in time of 
actual service, or upon which watchers may go 
more readily than could be done in rough, 
timbered regions, where no such way is pro¬ 
vided. When a fire is running cutting of tim¬ 
ber and trenching is often resorted to, and with 
good effect, to stay the flames and prevent their 
spreading. But with a raging fire close at hand 
there is apt to be excitement and fear, coupled 
with inexperience in the men who labor and 
lack of time to do thorough work. In times 
of great drouth, trenching avails but little unless 
the dry duff and other inflammable material are 
removed down to rock or mineral soil. Again, 
under the stress of usual fire conditions the “lay 
of the land” is not taken into consideration so 
that offhand cutting and ditching results in the 
firebreak not being properly located or run. 
With time and care, working at random may be 
eliminated and the firebreak located so it will 
be more efficient. With such preparations in 
advance it is believed even a small force of men 
may successfully stay and turn almost any fire. 
When the question of getting rid of the rub¬ 
bish and waste material on a firebreak is con¬ 
sidered, the present, with snow conditions, is a 
favorable time for burning. In all places ac¬ 
cessible for making roads some timber for fuel, 
saw logs or pulp wood, could be saved and 
brought, to market. Why should not the farm¬ 
ers and woodlot owners acting together join in 
making a system of firebreaks about their 
premises? Timber cut, if taken from a strip, 
would furnish necessary fire wood and at the 
same time be extending a safeguard about the 
premises. Would it not be much better, when 
and where practicable, to take the annual stock 
of fuel in this way rather than to clear up and 
cut all timber on tracts, not needed for tilling 
purposes, to get it? One practice or method 
would throw a safeguard about the timbered 
lands, and the other leaves them exposed to 
future forest fires with a constant menace in 
dry brush limbs and tree tops piled on the de¬ 
nuded grounds added. 
Would it not be well for other corporations 
and individuals having large holdings in forest 
lands, and even the State, to look into this mat¬ 
ter of fire-breaks, proceeding on the theory that 
an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of 
cure? In war the opportunity to succeed is 
largely in favor of the general who prepares in 
advance for battle, all other things being equal; 
in our battles against forest fires too much has 
been left to chance and impromptu efforts, and 
ruinous defeat has followed time and again. If 
we have forgotten the fires of 1903, lest we for¬ 
get those of 1908, prompt action for better pro¬ 
tection should be taken along some lines. 
Forest fires leave their own dreadful monu¬ 
ments, and this will cast blackened shadows all 
through the Adirondacks for a hundred years 
to come. It were better to regard these 
shadows as warnings of coming disasters than 
to have hope there will be no recurrence and 
depend entirely on chance. 
George L. Brown. 
My Woodcock. 
I stood in the ride, and the glamor 
Of autumn was gold on the trees. 
While the far-away beaters’ faint clamor 
Was borne on the whispering breeze, 
When the voices that came through the cover 
With the tapping of stick upon stock. 
Rang out with a roar—“Woodcock over, 
Cock forward, Mark cock.” 
Like a weather-stained leaf that is lifted 
When March is in maddest of moods, 
Through the tops of the beeches he drifted, 
A little brown ghost of the woods; 
Bombarded with passionate vigor, 
He lazily dodged down the line, 
And I knew as I pressed on the trigger, 
I knew he was mine. 
My bright locks may fade and grow duller, 
My keen glance may weaken, but still 
I shall see the soft pinions’ warm color, 
The length of that insolent bill; 
And, till age leaves me withered and one-eyed 
At the ultimate end of my road, 
I shall hear the click-click of the gun I’d 
Omitted to load. 
■—Punch. 
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