The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-09-12
The Prevention of Forest Fires.

The following article opens up very
interesting and important subject. We
are glad to call attention to it. Wp do
Tot quite agree with the writer as 10 the
fms required to grow pine forest.
We once sold at auction a pine growth
Of forty years for one hundred dollars
per acre, for the wood standing, without
the land.
Every now and then we read Of a fire
in the woods which burns up anywhere
from a few thousand to million dol
lars worth or more OF property; but until
these ravages we're brought together in
one view, by the map about to be pub
lished by the United States Census
Bureau, It is probable that no one had
an adequate idea of the wide range
and the vast amount of the damage
DONE
Without going into particulars, IL Is
safe to say that the prevention of these
fires Is one OF the most serious econ
omical questions. The direct value de-
stroyed is probably greater than that of
al the lumber cut which is not less
| thai three hundred million dollars a
year--and The Incidental damage. is in
many cases far greater than the direct
Cutting trees does not necessarily him
der the land from growing more and
better ones; in fact, it often helps to
that result. But burning them off
frequently destroys not only those
large enough to be cut, but also vastly
greater number which are not large
enough. Worse yet, it not only xii $
the seed in the ground, but also burns
out the vegetable substance in the soil
itself; rendering it for long time inca
pable of raising anything but tre-weed
or brambles, ind then, later on, some
of the trees Jeast valuable for fuel or
timber. In the case of broad-leaved
trees, vie may say that not less than
fifty years, and, in the case of white
| pine-for which the soil and climate of
New England are 50 peculiarly adapted
IDIOT less than one hundred years will
generally. under then favorable cir
cumstances, be necessary before the
same tire s can be grown again.
Where the underlying slopes are
steep this denudihg and roasting of the
soil often results Ii its being washed
away by rains: and if the rock beneath
is a hard one, such as granite, it may
be centuries before heat, frost and the
humblef kinds of vegetable lite can so
disintegrate stnd fig it that it will raise
trees. 5tt
Still further, a great indirect damage
is done by these frequent confagrations,
because they make owners of land so
+,S, 8 h
tempted to cut their trees when small
and thigkly crowded, so as to get as
much as possible from them for fuel
before fires may destroy them; and of
course this uncertainty is also strong
argumeIit against that planting which
advocates IF forestry urge 50 earnestly.
The first and most pressing matter
then to be attended to ii we are to con-
tinue to enjoy supply of timber, with
| out which we can not long have pros
| porous civilization, is to make or find a
way to prevent, as far as may be, the
! starting OF these fires, and their spread
if once they do get under way. For the
| first we need more stringent legisla-
ton, such as making it as much felony
to burn woods as houses Intentionally,
and criminal offense to set the fires
carelessly. Large bounties should be
offered for the detection of offenders.
Owners of woodland should he COM
PEELED to burn or remove all the tops,
branches and other debris of logging,
and fallen limbs and trees from stand
ing timber. This has been recently
urged by leading lumber journal.
Pleasure seekers should not be allowed
to enter extensive forests, such as
the Adifondacks, without guide Ii
censed by the Stale, ind he should be
held responsible for fires set OF left by
parties under his charge. Especially
railroads should be compelled to put
spark consumers upon all locomotives.
It is said that three lately built for Van
| derbilt work to entire satisfaction. To
facilitate the fighting of those fires
which do get started, there should be
maintained, as in the French forests of
maritime pine, frequent roads not less
than four rods wide, which should be
kept absolutely clear of combustible
material = CongregationaIiet.