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California Pays $5,000,000 Forest Fire Toll for 1923

California's forest fire bill for 1924 was over $5,000,000, according to report made public by the district headquarters of the United States Forest Service. The losses sustained and cost of fire fighting were the highest of any season since systematic protection of. the timber lands and brush areas of the State was instituted some 18 years ago.

Figutes compiled by the State Forester and the Federal Forest Service show that a total ol 2,657 fires occurred in California during 1924, as against an annual average of 2,060 fires for the past four years. The acreage burned over by these conflagrations was 1,085,039 acres, of which 436,899 acres was timber land and 548,140 acres brush and chaparral areas, principally valuable for watershed protection and recreation. The area burned u'ithin and adiacent to the National Forests of the State was 551.114 acies. of which 175,437 acres were located in the three watershedprotection forests of southern California. The actual area of Government land burned over, eliminating private holdings, was 401,221 acres or a little more than trvo per cent of the net National Forest acreage of the State.

Of the total of 2,657 fires that were fought during the past year, 7l per cent were man-caused and 29 per cent were started by lightning. Smokers were responsible for 37 per cent of all fires due to human carelessness, and campers 17 per cent-a total of 54 per cent. Incendiaries are charged with 16 per cent of the man-caused fires; brush burners l0 per cent; railroads 6 per cent; lurnbering operations 4 per cent, and miscellaneous carlses 10 per cent.

A Hardwood Stock List Of Parts

The January Stock List sent out to the trade by White Brothers of San Francisco, "Hardlvood Headquarters," is an exceptionally attractive piece of printed matter. On heavy white paper with the body matter worked up in a pleasing combination of purple and red, it is a delight to the eye.

Furthermore this Stock List is as good as it. looks. The wide variety of woods it covers makes it read like a veritable dictionary of. merchantable hardwoods. The lumber alone totals over two and a half million feet and this is augmented by a complete stock of all sizes of Hardwood Flooring, Flooring Borders, Veneers, WYBRO Veneered Panels, Drawer Bottom Stock and Dowels, etc.

Taken altogether White Brothers have one of the unique hardwood stocks of the country in point of size and variety of woods carried.

Junior Range Examiner

An examination for junior range examiner will be held throughout the country on March 12. It is to filI vacancies in the Forest Service at entrance salaries ranging from $1,860 to $2,000 a year.

The duties of appointees rvill be to carry on field work and experiments in connection with range investigations and range reconnaissance and to do work administrative in character in connection with the actual management of grazing on the national forests.

Competitors r,vill be rated on plant physiology, and systematic and economic range botany; plant ecology, surveying, and range management; and education and experience.

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