Petersham High School - Hilltop Yearbook (Petersham, MA)

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THE HILLTOP All the improvements that have been made in the prevention and fighting of forest fires cost hundreds of dollars. Those hundreds of dollars spent for protection of the forests could be spent for a better cause if people would be more thought- ful, for seventy-five per cent of all the forest fires is caused by carelessness. This fact proves that all the expense and destruction are not neces sary. Carelessness is like a glowing emberg it is fanned into flame by the thoughtless, but could easily be stamped out if the thoughtless would join the thoughtful nlblidge B tes, 5 ON KFFNJKGFJ-Xfl l ' The gre test step in reforestation for many years, and perhaps the greatest since the found ing of this continent, is being taken by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It is a government organization which was started in 1955 by yresi dent Roosevelt to aid the unemployed men of the United States. When the first camps were organ ized many people were still skeptical of the out a great success. More camps were built in all parts of the United States, and thousands of men, especially young men between the ages of twenty and thirty years, were put to work These boys have done a great deal for refer estation in the following ways: making fire roads, cleaning up forests to prevent fires, dig ging water holes, making parks, and experimenting with and studying trees and insects which has been done by the C. C. C. is the wer along the scientific line. Every year since C. C. C. has been in existence, the boys h covered thousands of acres of forest lan. un ing such insects as t 1 ,'-- m .rown W 5 is 1 A is A JE ' f M -4 0 ti! 'T 'U X 'a Y Q M FN 'N.' I ' X. 1 I - ,, JJ ffl , . . l 3 ' ' C. L X ' ' 0 1 c.. 5.5: - M., 3? L Q, -' 'faii come of the Eresidcnt's plan, but it proved to be jyj gvfij A -'QQ 1 if C A . X133- - x .. Mr' D H51- 0 Nu J ' 'I N Q' Perhaps the greatest step in reforestatio .5 5' t- O J tail moth, the tent caterpillar, and the elm wee vil. The habits of these insects, their harm to F9

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THE HILLTOP trees, the best methods of exterminating them have then been carefully studied, and thus a valuable service has been rendered to the interest of refor- estation. The C. C. C. boys also have studied the soil and climate to discover which trees grow best in certain areas and under various conditions. The making of fire roads is another important work done by the C. C. C. These roads have been built in carefully planned locations so.that in case of fire, any part of the forest may be reached conveniently. Many forest fires have been checked before they have caused great damage, because new the fire fighters can get more quickly and nearer Q to the vicinity of the fire. Not only have the C. C. C. boys built fire roads, but they have dug many water holes so that a sufficient water supply is obtainable in case of fire. . The cleaning up of the forest of its dead trees and limbs aids reforestation, because it does away with much material which would burn very rapidly if it should be ignited. This cleaning up also gives the young trees a better chance to grow into good lumber. ' There are many individuals and organizations which have done a great deal for reforestation, but none, in my opinion, has done so much in such a short time as the G. C. C. Charles Robinson, '58 A GROUP OF TREES A colorful group of majestic trees stands beautifully silhouetted against the pale blue of the sky. Two large white oaks stand close x 7' Lf together, their smooth slim branches pointing ward, as if to get away from the many crowding trees and shrubs which surround their spotted trunks. ph , K? A .,, F D 'as '.. T A-' E if ? A Q: ', X gg 'E 'F 1- S 1 . , .,, , ., . jk. a iii .inf 465' C F315 :A ,e-Q9 X fx MQ 'F 1 X is-337 f ,Lx .,f ' L -xf fx ,-X K, ' 4 N Ji. 'fx-325.5 7 1 Ev V I .1 Ll1,..,f w ff , ic, T- X x ,WJ