One of the most common-sense papers on forestry that we have read for some time is in the tiny little Forest Leaves, from an anonymous author, "J. H.," from which we take the following:

"The loss in timber from forest fires in New Jersey, on a low estimate, has averaged $1,000,000 per year for the last fifteen or twenty years. The loss, however, is much more than the mere value of the wood. The soil is so impoverished by these periodical burnings, which deprive it of all vegetable matter, that its incapacity for producing timber is much diminished. There is also a great depreciation in the value of land, because of the danger of fires, whether it be as timber-land, or for occupation or improvement, and considerable damage is done to the many valuable cranberry-bogs which are scattered throughout the forest, not to speak of the danger to buildings, habitations, and even human life.

"The causes of these fires are various - those given for the 54 fires of the census year are as follows: Clearing land, 7; locomotives, 28; hunters, 6; malice, 7; coal-pits, 6. It will be noticed that more than half were caused by railroads. Neither of the two great fires of this year (1885) were caused by locomotives - that at Bar-negat starting six or seven miles from any railroad, and that at Atsion, in a meadow, also far from a railroad, either from the carelessness of hunters or berry-pickers, or through malice. Mr. Elmer attributes many of the fires to carelessness in clearing up land. Many fires no doubt, start from coalings, and it is common to hear it stated that some of these are started intentionally, in order to keep the coalers and wood choppers at work, since timber burned over must be cut at once, whereas otherwise it would be left to grow and increase in value. Those caused through malice are often the result of chastising, or holding under surveillance timber thieves, by no means uncommon in the pine forests.

" Of the various causes, the most frequent one is the one which is, apparently, most easily prevented, although it is not unlikely that the damage from this source is somewhat overrated, for these fires are soonest detected and checked. Some railroads, notably the West Jersey and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, have already taken the matter in hand. The plan followed, and apparently with success, is, to clear away all timber for a width of 100 feet on each side of the track; to plow a furrow or two close to the outer edge of this space and then fire the space in the fall, and keep it mowed and cleared, if necessary, through the summer. Were this plan adopted by all railroads, and the engines furnished with suitable spark-arresters, danger from this source would disappear, as would the constant suits for damages which are probably much more expensive than the remedy".