Show S FIRE IN NATAL It Continues to be One of Winters Perils From the tho Cornhill In Natal N tal fire arils continues to be M one ono of winters perils perUs After months monist of drought plantations become so o much tinder tin Un tinder Under der and should by chance any field neld take tire rice and ana a hot wind be bo blowing the wrought is fig widespread if not ruinous One Une lack Black Monday nearly Hearty thirty years ago will son Jon long be memorable for the destruction wreaked wrEak wreak rough two counties by b the ruthless fire Piro fiend Fire Firebreaks Firebreaks Firebreaks breaks ot of trees tree or bare spaces combined with vigilance in suppression have great greatly ly b lessened d the risks of conflagration but b ut the dangers of ot grass tires fires will long be a I menace to Ute the tree planter and pastor alist in the upper districts Natal has hw been described aa as a vast meadow Its hills hUls are clothed from foot to brow with crisp and waving grass graae The latter often overtops a mans head From the earliest recorded ded times tImea it has been the fashion and a wasteful barbarous fashion it seems scents to burn these theae luxuriant pastures Old navigators passing along the tite sea ea coast c ast during the winter months wrote of Natal as a salts land of smoke Today the t e exquisite atmosphere of that season is blurred by the smoke that hangs or broods like a brown veil yeU over the pros pro prospect P Efforts E orts are made by t tle R e farmers and od encouraged onto raged by special laws to reg regulate regulate the practice by confining R k to certain tain n seasons and heavy bony penalties P are im fm imposed Imposed j posed Po sed upon u Po n the willful 1 rin S of grass gra graB But B t It is difficult to prevent either ac accidental accidental or wanton transgression Should a lire fire break out when a high wind is blowing it is vain to try and amI stem its progress pr On it sweeps over hill hilI and dale licking u up an any inflammable thing that may ma ay be be within its track leaping lea t over ove omens roads rosy attacking g tr tree ee plantations p de destroying destroyIng buildings s should they interpose slier alter dark der lighting up the heavens with the lurid glow of its encircling flames and mid girding the mountain sides with the contortions of its blazing Blasi outlines It is the fire t e aim of oP most good armors in these days not net to burn their grass until the f rains have fallen and a new growth ow t assured Is aa red and thus it came carne to topas pas the th other day that General Gene Jou Joui i b column of raiders by firm the grass between themselves and our own forces forc was able to advance behind the smoke unseen and unmolested into the heart honor of our ravaged uplands |