eep in the forest by mountain stream,
With friendly branches that lead and shade,
All in a woodland that he has made.
O, the peace of the trees!

He who passionately loves a tree,
Growth and power shall understand;
Everywhere he shall find a friend.
Listen! They greet him from every land,
English Oak and the Ash and Thorn,
Silvery Olive, and Cypress tall,
Spreading Willow, and gnarled old Pine,
Flowering branches by orchard wall--
Sunshine, shadow, and sweetness of glade--
All in a Paradise he has made.
O, the joy of the trees!

_The Dryad's Message_

Have you ever seen a forest fire? It is a terrible sight to see the
flames sweep up a mountain side. They run along the ground licking up
the leaves and dead branches. They leap from tree to tree, and then with
a roar the sheet of flame goes to the top of a tall pine. The air is
like the breath from an oven and is filled with sparks and with
suffocating smoke. The birds and animals flee away in every direction.

[Illustration: _American Forestry Association_
The forest fire sweeps everything in its path.]

It is no wonder that those whose homes are in the forest gather quickly
to fight the fire, for if they cannot control it, they may lose
everything that they possess. If there is a wind blowing, the fire will
probably sweep over many miles of country. At night, though, when the
air becomes cooler and more quiet, the men can get the advantage of it.

You can understand, of course, that it is impossible to use water
against such a fire, for water is not to be had throughout most parts of
the forests. Instead of using water, the men fight fire with fire.
Taking shovels, hoes, and rakes to a suitable place some distance ahead
of the fire, they rake away the dead litter on the ground, making a
broad, clean path through the forest. Then they set "back-fires" along
that side of this clean path which lies toward the coming fire. These
back-fires burn slowly toward the main fire, and when they meet both
must die out for lack of fuel.

For many years forest fires have caused as much damage as the lumbermen;
but now most of the forests are patrolled by rangers during the summer,
and there are fewer serious fires.

How do the fires start in the forest? It is supposed that long ago the
Indians set many fires to keep the woods open for their hunting.
Lightning has always been a frequent cause of forest fires. As many as a
dozen fires are