The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-10-01
A MEMORABLE YEAR.
For Forest Fire Destruction in The Unit
ed States.

Forest fires are causing considerable
damage ii many parts Of the country
at preeent. 1t will be several months
lcfore the total destruction is known
for The fire season has considerable time
% run. In figuring out this years losses
IL viii be natural 10 make comparison
with losses for last year which, accord
ing to TreadweIl Cleveland, IT,, in the
Year Book Of the Department Of Agri-
culture, win cause 1908 to long be re-
membered.
"A dry season, combined with what
seemed 10 be even more than the usual
indierence toward small fires which
might easily have beer extinglished at
the start says Mr. Cleveland, caused
destructive conAagrations IN practical
liz every state, with losses aggregating
100000 900. IN comparison with the
havoc wrought elsewhere, the damage
done 10 the National Forests was ex-
ceedinaly slight Had fires ragged with
in the forests as they did outside, they
would have destroyed timber worth
$4,000, 000-enough to run the Forest
Service for six years. Moreover, It Is
practically certain that most If not
all az the damage which was done might
have been prevented had the forests
been fully manned
Finally. the estimates Of loss made
hy the service on National Forests are
particularly searching, and take full ac-
count Of the injury done to young
growth. Commonly, estimates Of loss
from forest fires are based upon The
damage done to standing timber and to
property; they do not reckon the usual
lv far greater loss In injury Or destruc-
tion Of young growing stock
The methods BY which the govern
ment keeps down the fire losses on The
National Forests include:
I. Constant and systematic patrol
by picked forces or rangers and guards;
2. The construction Of roads, trails.
and telephone lines, which facilitate the
massing Of large irelighting forces;
8. The construction Of FIRE lines
which. in some instances. check the
spread Of Gre without human help;
1. The equipment Of the forests with
hre-fghting tools and other supplies
necessary IN fighting fires. The supplies
Of tools are kept at convenient points
at all times in order TO have them
easily accessible 10 forest officers, in
case fires break out
S. Cooperation with railroads. tim
berland owners. and settlers ID FIRE pro-
lection, IN this way making it possible
to protect both the lands Of the com
nanies and the Forest Service al a
much smaller cost to the government
than would be the case were the Ma
tional forest lands alone protected by
the local officers
just as the practice Of forestry Is im
pcrtant in the movement for the conser
vation Of an natural resources, 50 is
the protection Of forests from fires inn
portant ID the furtherance Of rational
forest work HI fact. forestry in many
Instances means nothing more than com
sentative numbering and the prevention
OF forest fires Uncle sam realizes that
only through the wise use and care Of
the forests will il be possible 10 make
natural timberland permanently produc-
tive. The practice Of forestry does not
mean abbreviating the use Of the land
Instead. conservative numbering and
protection Of the young growth from
fire viii bring about steadily increas
ing use. for with cultivation and care
the yield Of the forest increases and
the product improves III the same way
that the value Of the farm increases un-
der proper system Of management.