Our forest reserves, not including the National Parks, which are under military espionage, number thirty-nine, those of the Rocky Mountains, known as the Bitter Root, Priest River, Teton, Lewis, and Clark, Yellowstone and Flathead, the whole covering an area of twelve millions of acres. These reserves are covered by dense forests, and give birth to many of our greatest rivers. The trees that live and sing and thrive together on these mountains are the Pinus contorta, spruce, juniper, balsam, fir, mountain pine, larch and cedar.

In Oregon and Washington the reserves comprise 12,500,000 acres, being known as the Cascade, Mt. Rainier, Bull Run, Olympic, Ashland and Washington. In these marvelous forests, which with the exception of the California redwoods are the heaviest on the continent, the ranger finds an unlimited supply of scenic grandeur. All about, imperious mountains raise their snowy crowns above the green, and the whole universe is joyous-symphonic with lights and tints and shadows.

The Sierra Reserve of California covers an area of over 4,000,000 acres, and embraces stupendous natural rock structures, luxuriant rivers and grand forests, in which mingle the sequoia gigantia, world famous for its size and beauty, the sugar pine, Douglas spruce, librocedrus, silver fir and paton hemlock. At lower altitudes are found maples, alders, poplars, oaks and many others.

The Grand Canyon Reserve of Arizona comprises nearly 2,000,000 acres, and here Nature has blossomed into scenes of indescribable grandeur.

There are many other reserves besides those mentioned, the whole aggregating 46,169,249 acres. This enormous area is supposed to be protected by a corps of men in the Government employ, namely, 9 superintendents, 39 supervisors, and from 300 to 445 rangers.

Germany, with only half the area of the United States Reserves, has twice as many rangers. In France each ranger is given 1280 acres to patrol, while in California, which exceeds all other countries in forested areas, each ranger

is supposed to look after 60,000 acres of timber land.

For many years the desecration of our forests by sheep, lumbermen, hunters and campers has been deplorably prominent. Vast areas of old and noble trees that lifted their arms toward heaven as if for protection, have been ignominiously slain, their quivering trunks split into suitable fragments for absorption by the human world. Still greater areas have been eaten up by the red-tongued fire-monster, that began its indomitable career through the agencies of some careless camper who failed to extinguish a camp fire, or who tossed a smouldering cigar among dry leaves, thus giving birth to a conflagration.

The almost irreparable injury to the watersheds over which the fires raced has awakened within the people dependent upon mountain water supply, as well as those who faithfully love the woods, a determination to guard and keep intact the areas of forest yet remaining, and the preservation of the nation's water conserves is rapidly becoming the great agricultural question of the day. Uncle Sam's recent appropriation of $200,000 over and above the usual stipulation to be devoted to forestry purposes gives substantial evidence that the needs are imperious. The annual loss to our country by forest fires has been estimated at $50,000,000, but with the present arrangements and the increased appropriations, such stories of destruction will soon be relegated to past history.

Seven reserves have been set apart in Southern California: The San Gabriel Timber Reserve, San Bernardino, Trabuca, Pine Mountain, Zacko Lake, San Jacinto and Santa Ynez, their united area being about 5,000,000 acres. Forest fires have played havoc with the outer slopes of these California mountains, leaving them to face the world denuded, black and antagonistic looking. Most of the inner slopes have escaped, however, and are luxuriantly timbered. These mountains are conveniently accessible to city and town, and being scrolled over with wagon roads and trails that lead in all directions toward cool retreats, thou

sands of tired townspeople annually run away from weariness, climbing up among the grand old peaks, where, in the midst of fragrant pine shadows they find rest and consolation. It is during this time, when human recuperation is being carried on with a vim, that the forest rangers are compelled to be most actively alert.

When on patrol duty these woodland guardians are uniformed in dark blue, with gold buttons and straps bearing the insignia of their caning. Stout leggings and spiked boots terminate the outfit, while a broad hat adds picturesqueness. This costume gives the rangers a military appearance that people are bound to respect. When building trails and performing other rough tasks, unpretentious clothes that suit the work are substituted.

Forest rangers usually receive $2 a day for their services, and out of this they are expected to furnish their own horse, tent, provisions and culinary outfit. They are expected to have with them at all times, when away from their camp, their horse, shovels, axes and canteens, so

that if a fire is discovered, they can get to it without delay, and have tools to work with and water to quench their thirst. It is the distinct understanding of the department that the forest rangers must remain permanently in the respective districts assigned to them by the supervisor, and faithfully patrol and guard their district during the summer season, when the danger of fire is great. The forest supervisor is not permitted to give forest rangers permission to leave their respective divisions, except in extreme cases of sickness.

When stationed at the mouths of ingress, rangers are obliged to take the name and address of all who enter the mountain life gates, to caution them to extinguish their camp fires before breaking camp, and explain to them the penalty of fine and imprisonment that will be imposed in case of carelessness. A new system is being inaugurated that will require all parties entering the mountains, to obtain a permit, telling just where they are going and where they will camp each night, so that the rangers in their rounds may visit their

camp and see that all is right.

Few people intentionally start fires in the mountains, but through ignorance of efficacious methods of extinguishing camp fires, many serious conflagrations have swept our watersheds bare. When breaking camp in the morning the mountain winds are invariably asleep, and to the hurried packer the camp fire fades, slumbers, and apparently dies. But later in the day, when the humans have departed, frolicking winds fill their muscular arms with dry leaves and mosses, and toss them over the awakening fire cinders, and thus the most disastrous fires are started.

The camper should always extinguish his fire with water when it is obtainable, and even when every spark seems dead he should use the precaution to cover the blackened heap with dirt. In using this method no possible harm can result. During the past summer people entering the San Gabriel timber reserve were not allowed to carry firearms, but in other localites the regulations were not so strict.

The supervisor of each district gives every ranger in his employ a card containing printed instructions, which are supposed to be followed implicitly. The rangers' most important duty is to keep vigilant outlook for fire, and in case a smoke is discovered they must hurry to the spot and extinguish the fire if possible. If they find it beyond their control they must exert every effort to procure help in sufficient force to stop the spread. They will ascertain if possible, the cause of the fire, whether by some careless pleasure seeker or whether it has been willfully set. They are expected to use diligence in ascertaining who are the responsible parties, and to keep an account of the place, date and approximate damage done, and report all these facts to their supervisor. Eventually telephone lines will be run into all the reserves, and through this means our forests will be more effectually guarded. Heretofore, when fire was discovered, it sometimes required two days to obtain help. Employment agencies in the cities were called upon, but help

On the summit of Mt. Jacinto.

entirely ignorant of the work required was often furnished, the fire making destructive headway in the meantime. In Southern California, farmers who live near the base of the mountains are marshalling themselves into volunteer fire companies, and pledging themselves to be in readiness to fight fire at a moment's notice. Small supply stations are being built near the mountain streams, and in these will be placed quantities of sealed provisions for emergency cases, and also tools sufficient for an army of fire-fighters.

During the winter, when mountain travelers are usually snuggled away in their valley offices and homes, attending to business and social affairs, the rangers' energies are transferred from tourist espionage to more arduous tasks. They have to cut the brush away from old trails, and where necessary improve them. They are also required to make new trails as indicated by the supervisor wnere and cut fire-breaks necessary. These fire-breaks run down from the tops of the ridges like broad brown ribbons, and are made by clearing a space thirty or forty feet wide of all growth, so that