Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-06-03
HOW ITO PROTECT The AMERICAN
FORESTS FROM RAvAGES OF FIRE

them of the life giving light and
heat, and normal forest conditions
would ultimately exist, by reason Of
the slow decay of the smothered
growth.
The practical realize that nothing
but miracle will keep fire out CT
the forest areas, for, to accomplish
this, lightning even must be elimin-
ated, and further, realize that If the
theoretical continues for a few years
longer there will be no hope of saw
ing them, from useless, and unneces-
sary, and great damage, as the ac-
cumulated fallen limbs and unusual
and unnecessary hazard, is many
times greater in five, or ten, than in
two or three years, for in the nature
of things, forest trees drop their
lower limbs annually, and others are
broken by snow, falling timber, or
otherwise, as the case may be.
The practical say '1et the fire at
the proper time of year, run at will, I"
in the forest described, rather than
not at all, as it can h clearly demon
strated, that the class of forests
named, are greatly benefited, rather
than injured, by this manner of treat
ment. The proof is abundant, in the
fact of our having magnificent vir-
gin forests of the class described,
that have been subjected to fire
at will, and not at selected favorable
periods of the year, for the past five
hundred, to (per chance) two thous-
and, or more years.
For instance, the writer, has had
an opportunity of observing the hold
ings of company in which some
friends and himself are associated,
holding, and owning, about % square
miles of forest area, in the Sugar and
White Pine belt Of California, and
the ideas embodied herein, have been
observed in the district of timber Of
which these holdings form a part, as
also in other areas of like timber in
this State. Within the past ten
years, fire has run at will through
portions of the holdings mentioned,
and in such instance such burned
over area, was, and is improved, by
reason of the burning, so much SO,
that we look with special pride on
one particular area so burned, as 1t
is absolutely free from inflammable
matter, and the live timber is un-
injured, and the forest cover or car
pet is perfect. These fires occurred
in the summer months, and not as
the practical would choose to have
them, as no advance preparation was
supplied, but as stated before, better
have fire at will, than not at all, and
the periods of such burning should
not exceed three to four years apart,
and better oftener.
These particularly described hold
ings from part of the three million
acre Forest Reserve. The percentage
of privately owned forest lands in
this vast area, is as a drop in the
bucket, compared with the holdings
of the Federal Government in this
Reserve.
Under these conditions, the very
serious question arises as to how
private owners can follow on lines
of practical foestry, as the admins
trative power of the Federal Govern
ment is equally rigid, in so far as
the privately owned tracts are con-
cerned, for the reason that as stated |
before they form a part and parcel
of the Forest Reserve itself, and come
under the ban of the Federal Govern
ment's theoretical forestry whims.
There would seem to be, under this
only one avenue of escape |
for the private owners of timbered |
in Forest Reserves, and |
that Is to attempt at least to educate |
the directing hand of Federal for |
estry affairs, away from the theOreti-
cal, and into the practical and there
Is no question of doubt but that the |
Federal forest rangers Cor at least
many of them) know that the present
theories are runlous, and calculated
10 insue unnecessary and great dam
age to the forest areas, by the mas
.er fire, IL continued.
These same rangers evidently, un-
Ter present forestry theories, do not
i've IN a comfortable atmosphere. as
.he following words OF Stewart Ed
ward White in a magazine of recent
publication indicate;
"The summer Is their busy season,
All the manifold business of the For
'st is pacing it's swiftest. Fire fight
ng, sometimes sixty hours at
stretch.
Each year brings It's crop Of new
'ecruits, Phe newcomer generally
'herishes a.hazy idea that rangers
'hief duty is to ride abroad pleasant
y on patrols, to count rings in tree
itumps, and to see that everybody
)beys regulations.