The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-09-21
$50 FOREST FIRES
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
More Damage Feared Ii
DrOuth Extends Into
Hunting Season
1000 ACRES BURNED -.
OVER THIS SEASON
State Forester Believes Destruction of
Slash BY Lumbermen Should BE Re-
CURED - Great Fight Against White
Pine R,istey-sO0.OO0 Acres Inspected


Pine 8IisteT-5O0,O00 Acres Inspected
CONCORD. n. H., Sept. 21.-Forest
fires have swept oyer three and half
times as much territory this year in the
timber districts of New Hampshire as
were devastated last year, according to
statement made by State Forester John Ia.
Foster. The unusual losses are attributed
to the exceedingly dry season which has
made timber tracts easy prey for flames.
Conflagrations of greater or lesser ex-
tent have ragged over 1000 acres or
wooded areas and, although the state has
had a fire fighting force of more than SUI
fire wardenS and deputies constantly on
duty. the losses have run into untold thou
sands of dollars.
Report $50 Fires.
The IS lookout stations, with trained
men in charge, have reported mclplent
fires Immediately after they started but
the fire fighters have been handicapped
considerably by the excessively dry mate
rails which fed the flames. The wardens
have thus far this year reported 900 fires
and it is likely that the number Will be
much larger if a drouth prevails during
the hunting season which Is about to open.
State Forester Foster expects sportsmen
and hunters will use exceptional care TINS
fall so as to avoid the danger of further
losses this year. Builders of camp fires
will be held responsible for damages
caused by them if it can be proved that
any negligence is shown in this regard.
considering the inflammable nature OF
the forest areas on account of the parClc-
ularly dry weather this season, we feel
that it was good luck that the losses were
not 30 times as much.
In Maine, for instance, this year hre
has swept over 100000 acres of the Maine
forests The state has been compelled to
incur a deficit Of 1000 up to date in
this department alone simply because the
dry season has made possible an unusual
number of forest fires.
In the state of New Hampshire we
had one fire this year that burned over
1000 acres in the vicinity of Pittshurg.
In studying and investigating conditions
that make possible the huge losses from
this source we have learned that practi-
cally all fires start in. or get into, slash.
Hence the Importance Of supervision of
lumber operations
Should Destroy Slash.
THE time is coming, I believe" he
added, when every state in the union
that has timber lands will require that
lumbermen aud others destroy every bit
of slash and waste material lying on the
ground after they have completed a job.
We already have a law that no slash or
brush shall be left within - feet of a
or within 60 feet of Il railroad
track.
J New York state has a law that requires
that tops of trees cut down for lumber or
other purposes where only the trunk is
used. shall be shorn of their limbs 50 that
the discarded piece of tree shall lie fiat
on the ground and thus not be a feeder
for a fire. Every state ought to have
such a law. OF course. such a require
ment will increase the cost of numbering
and necessarily will raise the price of
humber to the consumer. But the state
would save hundreds of thousands of dol
lars if such a law were adopted. But |
believe that some day all the states will
require disposal of slash and brush
In commenting on other phases of the
work of the forestry department Mr.. Fos-
ter said We have planted between
100000 and 100000 trees on land owned
by the state. In addition to this. we
have sold thousands of trees for planting
to individuals at the cost to the state of
producing them. The department does
everything in its power to encourage the
planting of trees"
White Pine Blister
zone of our chief troubles is fighting
the white pine blister. 1t is proving one
CT the most serious mPnaces to timber lands
ever known. Our men have carefully
surveyed over 100000 acres of pine tim
her lands in the state and everywhere
they found any currant or gOoseberry
bushes infected, they Immediately pulled
them up. We are sorry that the owners
have been compelled to lose their berries
and currants but, of course, every sensi-
I L.