Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-07
Corporation Business Falls Off
Almost 0ne-HaIf.
New Quartermaster for I'd REGIMENT,
N. G. S. M.-CapitaI People Back
from Kineo-Gray- HiIdreth Co. of
Gardiner Incorporated.


had prevailed from April s to June 8,
and the forests We're in a most in
tiammable condition. There were with
in sixty days 260 different fires in the
| burned-over districts. In strong con-
trast with the experience of New York
in the Adirondacks, only three of these
are positively known to have been of
incendiary origin. Maine had just put
into operation a new law amendatOry of
it's forest fire warden service. But for
: the more efficient work done under this
law, the fire loss would have been much
greater.
To secure the information which may
form the basis for protective measures
against future losses on such 4 scale,
/ and ascertain what can be done to re-
pair the damage already suffered, the
! State authorities have arranged for a
cooperative frc-study of the Maine
forests by the Bureau Of Forestry of
| the l.. :. Department of Agriculture.
| In accordance with its usual terms OF
! cooperative work, the bureau will
share equally with the State the field
expenses of this study. Five men have
i been assigned to it, and We're on the
ground July l. The work in the field
! maindrr of the summer.
| A bureau of forestry fire-Study in
| cludcs in it's scope everything pertain
| ing to the occurrence, results, preven-
ton. and ameliOration of the effects of
forest fires in any region. The field
force gathers from every responsible
, source evidence concerning the causes
| of the fires, the area burned over, and
| the damage done. Every statement of
| witnesses is verified, so far as possible,
| by personal investigation on the
| ground. 1t is ascertained whether anti
f, fire laws are respected or violated, and
the attitude of people in the neighbor-
hood is lcarned-whether because of or
despite lhcir occupations they dread
| ana will fight fires. or whether they
| think them of little consequence and
| u.rhauS rather wink at their occur
renee For local sentiment is the most
powerful agency for causing or control
| ing forest fires. The fire risk to which
capital invested in standing timber IS
exposed is at best under most condl-
| lions Il very formidable hazard. 1t
combines infammability, exposure
from camp fires. smudges, careless
smokers. ana railroads, and scanty
means of prOtection-all the qualities
| which Insurance companies avoid in
other risks With the local population
| Indifferent or hostile the preservation
| of the forest is almost hopeless. ) The
agents of the bureau of forestry are
generally most efficient missionaries
wherever they go, arOusing the people
with whom they come in contact to the
interest Of the community in preventing
land ,utting out fires. From the data
which they obtain advice is given as TO
| enactment If more stringent laws,
ratroI regulations, and methods of fire
fighting. =. z.
The results following forest fires are
studied to determine whether or not
hurned-over lands can be made again
| to proIuce n forest crop. The first in
miry here is How badly has the forest
been initlred?" If only the young growth
has been killed, the problem is very
different from that presented when the
ground is swept clean of forest. In the
former case, if there are enough SEED
hearing trees left, nature requires only
rrotection while she does her work OF
rerorestation. But if the ground has
been clean swept. she must be material
IL assisted if proper forest conditions
within any reasonable space of time"
The field party in Maine VIII
first investigate the extent of damage
which fire has done to the forests.
Next il will examine as to the exist
cnce of any natural reproduction of
the original forest. Since the worst
fires were only n year ago, little IN
the wav of reproduction may be eX-
|
what does appear will be carefully no.
ted and areas in the same districts
burned over two, three four,
five and more years ago Will
be compared with each other and
with the one year-old burna This
work is done by taking sample strip
acres laying them off SO as to get the
best general average of the territory.
ana then counting all the seedlings and
measuring all the trees on these strips.
The different kinds of trees encounter
ed ana the varying forest conditions.
as of soil, etc, are also recorded. In
this way an estimate can be formed
of how fast natural reproduction takes
place.
| When this work has been finished
. the problem remains. how to get back
good, dense. normal growing forest.
: This is accomplished in one of two
ways. The first plan is adopted when
the stand of trees is found to be open.
scraggy and in lunches, and consists
in helping nature by protecting against
fire and stock as perfectly as possible.
In addition. the soil may be stirred
to aid natural seeding, and, finally,
seeds may be scattered on bare spots.
The second plan is used where the
=. ground has been swept clean by
fire and natural reproduction is al
most out of the question. In that case
the only resource is tree planting. This
is Il special branch of the work of the
bureau. and one in which great sue
cess has been achieved.
Since nearly all of the timberland of
: Maine is under private ownership the
results of the study must find their
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