Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1913-05-23
LETTER FROM STATE FORESTER
Middlebury Register.

MluuleDuIy ReBiSCeIs
Dear Sir:
/ wish to call the attention of your
readers to the present danger of forest
fires. Not since the bad season of 1908
has there been such danger of fire in
woods. The small amount of snow of
the past winter melted early, and while
there was an abnormal rainfall in
March, the ground is now becoming
very dry. The chief causes of fire at
this time of year are fishermen, rail-
road locomotives, portable steam mills,
and people burning brush. 1t is very
easy to start bad fire by carelessly
dropping a cigar or cigarette stub in
dry leaves, and fishermen should be
especially careful to throw such stubs
into the water, and to see that camp
fires are thoroughly extinguished.
The worst fire of the season thus far
was on the line of the Central Vermont
Railroad in Middlesex. This fire, which
started on Thursday, May l, burned for
three days before it was put out, and
covered over one thousand acres. Dur
ing the last session of the Legislature
the House passed law similar to that
in force in Massachusetts, New York
and Canada, requiring the use of eff
cient spark arresters on locomotives
and portable saw mills during certain
months of the year. This bill was
killed in the State Senate. The Middle
sex fire, and one recently set in the
town of Fletcher by portable mill,
plainly show the need of such a law,
and it is to be hoped that there will be
time for this legislation at the special
session.
Farmers who have brush to burn,
should pick out time to do it when
there is no danger of forest fire. Pre-
ferably it should be done early in the
spring before the snow is gone from
the woods. At least they should choose
days when there is no wind and just
after rain. Everyone should realize
that he is responsible for any damage
done in this way to neighbor, just as
if he set fire to barn.
The opinion is all too common that
forest fires do no damage unless they
burn in valuable softwood timber.
While crown fires do not occur in hard
wood forests, this class of timber is
seriously injured by ground fires. The
wounds caused by such fires on birch
and maple make an entering place for
fungus diseases which quickly rot out
the center of the trees. Often young
growth of spruce and other trees of ter
or twenty years standing is killed by
such fires, and the fertility of the sol
is seriously damaged by the removal OF
the humus.
Anyone who discovers a forest fire
should do everything possible to put il
out. If he finds that he cannot handle
. it, he should Immediately notify the
nearest Fire Warden. The Fire War
dens are authorized to arrest without
warrant anyone whom they find in the
act of setting fires; they may employ
men at town expense to eXtinguish fires
and in dangerous times, with the con
sent of the State Forester, may emplo,
men to patrol regions of special danger
A list of the Fire Wardens in YOU
region is appended.
Yours very truly,
A. F. HAYES, State Forester
Starksboro, Robert H. Young.
James Casey
Arthur Clifford.
Monkton, b. l.. Lawrence.
w. c. Donahue.
Ferrisburg, c. r. Hawkins.
, Carlos Martin.
New Haven, f. E. Rowley.
! Bristol George S. Farr.
Lincoln, Loren E. Jackman.
+ Ripton, c. l.. Cook.
Middlebury, Henry f. Everts.
Cornwall, F. f. Foote.
Hancock, r. d. Claflin.
Granville. f. w. Ford.
Goshen, T. V. Hooker.