Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-01-04
MAINE FORESTS.
.rruAL REPORT OF COMMITS
srONER RING.


49,. NJ wild land, Interested In every
a,r.ction BY railroads, its forests teeming
lin s,me hunted by Thousands Of sports
r,en. the ground practically covered with
,;t,., and refuse left from logging opera
t;ons. al Of which combine to make the
a.nverous conditions necessary for . con-
c.grstiou which, under favorable con-
s;tions. would exceed that Of any fire in
the West.
.uThe proper conservation Of our forests
:. . .ub,ect for deep thought and the ex-
srcise OF our best Judgment. upto recent
Years. forest hres were allowed to burn
until extinguished by rain or the winter
.rovs. Al result large percentage OF
our forests have at some time oeen burned
over. entailing loss almost incaicuiaoie.
,.The ground in most Of our forest is
covered with leaves, sometimes 70 con-
siderable depth, in various stages Of de-
composition, and camp fires built upon
This ground are particularly dangerous, as
th, soi, burus and it 10 dificult 70 extin-
,uish the IRE. Ground fires have been
sroxn 70 burn for months and defy all
efforts to extinguish them until there
was q heavy fall Of snow. Such nres VIII
sometimes travel beneath the surface for
considerable distance and bleak out in
tresh places several days aftefone thinks
thew have been entirely subdtd.
aThe recent destructive fdres which
have occurred in the primeei forests Of
washington, Minnesota "a Montana,
destroying many millions 4 property and
hundreds Of human lives, @nonstrate the
necessity OF . Thoroughly stem OF nre
protection in our own Ste
THE PATROL sfKA.
"Tse forest fire law sn4sd by the last
,..;.,.tn,. waa : long !ep toward the
conservation Of our foref ~ projecting
them from fre. We kind the principles
OF the law arc correct fcause We have
t,;.d them ont. The neSsity Of patrols
is 80 generally admittdthat It hardly
needs mentioning. Pu9g out nres a.
ready started 10 better 70 letting them
burn, but, - the real fofation OF pro-
tective system, il 10 at like lowering
tho life-boat after thdip has struck.
Patrol is better than fe1ng, because the
incipient spark or camp can Do extin-
suished before 1t becAs forest nre
that h.a to be foughtpne patrolman
can stop hundred fncpt nres cneaper
than 100 men can stop ofafRe nre.
"Resuits in forest pection are most
,-r,, measured. not hthe number OF
n-es extinguished, but absence OF nres
at all.
another feature OF new Law u tnat
ths .maIl assessment nj the land own
ars m.kes il cooperate Just - the in
dividual cannot mainl properly Or
gained and equipped department to
look after his city prolV - well alone
~ though joining wiehe community,
neither can he do IN projecting
forests. II one patrqn can cover the
land Of several ownef 70 unwise for
each To hire q man. o IRE starts and
threatens several tra u u oetter 10
share the expense OF Hng II out. Inc
sale value Of timberlap any region Is
increased by public k3edge that those
interested there unitefsupporting pro-
gressive protective mp
"Again this law hden the means OF
compelling the non lent owner, the
small owner who IL ue to employ any
one alone, and non-progressive
owners who would &wise do nothing
to contribute their 81 Howard the gen.
eral cost, and the takes far more
kindly to the enforce Of fire law by
the State than to iii activity on the
part Of the indivt owner, against
whom prejudice msxist.
ssOur forest wealt)nainly commun-
ity wealth. All IL Ter can get out Of
them is the stumpaoue. The people
get everything elsa every acre Of
land destroyed by citizens of this
State who are not Lad hers bear at least
rs per cent. Of the df Joss and sustain
serious injury to thd[bty and profit.
1.-THE care OF our ID involves greater
responsibility than inarily realized,
and this work cannv too thoroughly
performed"
FORESTRY Dtr IDEA.
Commissioner RID enthusiastic in
his commentator d Maine forestry
district idea, put inte by the seventh
legislature, under wlhe land owners
pf Aroostook, Frank hncock, Oxford,
Penobscot, Piscata{ Somerset and
washington countieI annually assessed
one and one half mit 1900 and 1910,
ssa.sA5.45) for fire pei
zone of the first attempted and
carried out under bnditions made
possible by creatinI Maine forestry !
district, was the enlent OF the patrol |
and lookout systen]
Eight years ago, The first law was
passed looking to TIL ction Of Names
forests, goodly nuSof fire wardens |
were appointed, and as possible dur
ing the dry and d bus periods the
\ most exposed place patrolled, but |
peesssarily only Il amount Of such |
york could be done in appropriation
bf only $4,000, whit ito be devoted to
extinguishment q prevention.
uEYnerieuc. h..vx ~ -,hc haze