Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-24
TO REDUCE FIRES
ALONG RAILROADS
Forest Park Reservation Com
mission Also Aims to Better
Shade Tree Law.
Especial to the Newark start

TRENTON, Dec. 24,-Efforts to re-
duce flre hazard along the railroads, a
more effective shade tree law and
better public roads in the woodland
sections is the work the Forest Park
Reservation Commission has mapped
out for ITSELF according to the COM
missions annual report, filed with
Acting Governor Taylor. A recon-
mendation for another assistant for
ester, to give special attention to
shade trees and to wood lots is con-
tanned in the report. The report says
New Jersey has 100000 acres, or As
per cent. of the total upland wooded
The cardinal points of the commits
sion's efforts are these: Forest fire
control is an absolute condition prece-
dent to the practise of any kind of
forestry The practise of forestry by
those who own the forests is prefer
able to State purchase and control
Development of the forests we have
through protection and care is wiser
than planting more forestry. State
forest reserves should be limited to
tracts held for demonstration, for
water control and other specific pur-
poses. Shade trees are vital to every
community.
Would Develop Forest Value.
Continuing, the report says:
This entire program, except in re-
spect to shade trees, seeks to develop
forests of positive value. Our possi-
bilities are suggested by comparison
with Wurttemberg. That German
State and ours have practically the
same area, the same population, sim
liar territory and similar interests.
The annual net income from New Jer-
sey's forests is about fifty cents per
acre, the annual net income from
Wurttemberg' forests is upwards of
IS an acre. We can do as well if we
will"
Strong ground for satisfaction is
felt by the commission for it's forest
fire prevention work in that "a per
cent. of all fires known to have start
ed were put out before they had
burned as much as five acres. The
estimated value of all kinds of prop
erty destroyed by forest fires during
the year was $67,205, against a SINH
lar loss of sol in 1912. More than
the whole of this increase, however,
is due to twenty-seven fires, which,
under extreme conditions of drought
and high wind, escaped control and
caused a loss of $47,370. Neighboring
States suffered relatively much more.
Substitute Christmas Trees.
The report, in part, continues:
THE embargo laid and maintained
by the United States department of
agriculture upon the shipment of
Christmas greens from the territory
infested by the gypsy moth and the
brown-tail moth (portions of New
England) has created an unusual de-
mand for the home product. In itself
this is good, although it must be ad-
mitted that our pines and cedars are
not very satisfactory substitutes for
the balsams and spruces of the
North But the situation has it's evil
side in that our forests near the large
cities are being raided. In portions
of Camden, Gloucester and Burlington
counties this became such an abuse
that the Forest Commission was be-
sought to support restrictive legisla-
ton. 1t was easy to show that there
is no need for legislation. that exist
ing statutes are ample to meet the
situation, provided that forest owners
themselves do their part. 1t was
thus arranged through an agreement
with the senator from Gloucester
county. who is also master of the
State Grange, to distribute through
the oranges a circular-letter inform
ing farmers of their rights their priv
ileges and their opportunities"