STUDIES FOR EEFORESTATION 709 



Nature was lavish and slow in her methods, she did not do everything 

 in a day, so the problem of reforestation which confronts the Forest Service 

 is one which requires slow, painstaking work and a great deal of observation 

 on the part of the men engaged in it. Much of the preliminary work done 

 along these lines has been misunderstood by the general public, "sample 

 plots," "germination per cents," "physical factors of the habitat" and the 

 like, meaning but little to the people at large until once explained to them. 

 Recently an "old timer," while watching the men engaged in experimental 

 work, was heard to remark, "I don't for the life of me see why those Forest 

 Service men want to dilly dally around the hills scattering a few seed broad- 

 cast, now and then sewing them in spots, raking some and leaving others 

 undisturbed." They don't even complete it at one time, but come back at 

 different seasons of the year and do the same thing over and over again. 

 Occasionally they come around and locate the small trees by placing a white 

 peg with some figures on it near each tree, fill cans full of dirt and so many 

 other foolish things. The trouble that these fellows go to in this work is 

 all nonsense. I could take a sack of seed and sow more in a day than they 

 would in a year. Why don't they sow a large amount of seed and not fool 

 around marking out small areas with white posts with red and black tops, 

 carefully weighing out and sowing the seed? Nature does not go to all this 

 trouble in growing trees." This is one of many similar remarks heard made 

 by people who are not acquainted with what the men are doing and what 

 they are accomplishing. 



European experience has helped us to a great extent, but the problem of 

 reforestation is largely a local one and must be dealt with accordingly. It 

 is to be regretted that not all potential timber lands secure a thrifty stand 

 of young growth "naturally." If they did, the problem of reforestation would 

 be a simple one. In order to best study this problem, which is a very inten- 

 sive one, sample plots are used to the best advantage. They often mean some- 

 thing very vague, indefinite, and impractical, to those not acquainted with 

 that class of work, but when once understood their value is appreciated. 



Nature in her work did not always u.se the best judgment in determining 

 what species of trees should cover the different regions ,but man after many 

 years of study and observation has been able to improve upon her work. 

 Nature has in many instances taken care of reforesting the cut-over and 

 burned-over areas, but where the destruction has been too great, man must 

 intercede before it is too late as it was in parts of France and China. In order 

 to determine the best methods of reforesting these areas small typical sample 

 plots are laid out where all feasible methods of reforestation are tried so as 

 to determine conclusively the proper method before trying it on a more 

 large and expensive scale. Injudicious application of the different methods 

 may result in a total failure, which often eventuates in a great deal of damage 

 through erosion, for instance, or deterioration of the soil. 



