Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-06-03

and White Pine Forests.
The white man found these for
ests to his liking 500 to 1000 years
after they sprang from the soil, and
it IS admitted that the Indians for
centuries for his own convenience,
no doubt, fired the forests at, 1t IS
stated, alternating periods of about
three years, that is to say, they
burned certain forest areas one year
and certain other areas another, and
so on to the end that the burnings
were about three years apart.
The practical invites the aid of
fire as a servant, not as a master, as
1t will surely IN a very short time
be, unless the Federal Government
changes 1t ways by eliminating the
theoretical and grasping the pract-
ical.
Just few pertinent questions:
Were the Federal Governments S
present theories in vogue covering a
period of the age of our California
Forests Of say, 500 to 1000 years?
Is it not very much the exception
TO find as much as one acre in a
very large forest area (unless on
logged over or partially logged over
ground) destroyed by fire?
What percentage of the forest area
of California were rejected and set
aside as not worth the price on ac-
count of the ravages of fire? The
Federal Governments plat book COW
ering timber areas make no specific
record of elimination on account Of
the ravages Of fire In fact such
areas are so limited as to be Of
little consequence.
Yet the evidence of fire running
at will are to be found in all of our
California forests. But how keen
the speculative spirit for acquiring
these burned over forest areas so
much so that the Federal Govern
ment saw fit to take hand and
withdraw them from sale, and incl
dentelly raise the price of stumpage
TO more than double that for which
private owners of timber areas
would be glad to sell their stumpage,
and this in the face of the fact that
private holdings are subject to State
and county taxation. The Federal
Government paying taxes only when
the timber crop is harvested and the
cash for the same in It's Golfers.
AS hereinbefore stated fire always
has been and always will be the sal
walton and preservation of our Cal
ifornia Sugar and White Pine forests
and no doubt the forests of many
other states. In manner, however,
fire running at viii is master, This
is not the practical. II is the inten-
tion to deal herein with fire as a
servant, and prepare for its coming
IN advance, which can be done sue
cessfully in the summer months and
the servant fire put to work In the
fall months, or after the first rains,
when It would require aid rather
than otherwise In les good work Of
destroying decayed logs, and off-fall,
the accumulation OF year or two or
more, as also destroying the destruc-
tive insects In them such as beetles,
which are. it Is declared by experts,
by reason OF the Federal Govern
ments theoretical ideas in keeping
fire out OF the forests becoming |
very much more destructive, their
ravages being very noticeable, or in
effect the same as girdling.
Naturally the question is asked |
by the theorist "how will the fire be
kept from the standing live timber
and Il saved from the awful ravages
OF fire deliberately turned loose in
it?" The answer is, IN itself II won't
burn, as an all-wise nature has given
Il protection IN the form Of bark that
Is nonconductor Of heat. but that
ali-wise nature does uot prevent
dead tree from falling or rolling
against a live one and subiectlng II
to unusual and unnecessary hazard.
The practical supply proposes TO re-
move these extra hazards IN advance
OF the servant fire. Should the ex-
ira hazard be log, cut out section
OF It Immediately against the living
tree, and roll the cut-out portion, a
safe distance from the particular
tree endangered. or clear away limbs.
as the case may be. and In this man
ner prepare for the servant fire, and
perohance this might mean trim
ming, cutting down, and piling for
subsequent firing, OF extra hazard, In
the shape of thickets Of small trees.
II Is claimed by the theorists. that
lire even passing through forest
areas previously prepared for Il, VIII
destroy young trees, and the damage
On this account would be irreparabls.
rhe claim win also be made by the