fire: its influence upon the forest crop. 9 



fire: its influence upon the forest crop. 



Conservative lumbering can never be successfully carried out in this 

 region unless precautions are taken against fire. 



On the valuation surveys notes were kept of fire damage, and it was 

 found that only 5 per cent of the total area had escaped more or less 

 serious fire during the last ten years. In this region the fires are 

 seldom more than ground fires, consuming the leaf mold, grass, and 

 other ground cover, seedlings, and .voung growth of all kinds, but very 

 rarely burning a tree which has passed the sapling stage. Where the 

 flames rise to a height of 10 feet the fire is considered severe. 



Only a small proportion of the mature pine has been damaged, since 

 the bark of both the Shortleaf and the Loblolly Pine possesses excel- 

 lent resisting power. On some badly burned areas examined all 

 young growth below about 20 feet in height has been completely 

 destroyed. Yet, although all the mature pine and the high poles had 

 been very severel} T scorched and charred, often to a height of 40 feet 

 from the ground, the}' were apparently perfectly sound and healthy, 

 nor had their growth been appreciably checked. 



In marry localities, however, the mature pine has been cut into, 3 or 

 4 feet from the ground, to determine whether the wood splits easily 

 and hence is suitable for the making of shingles. A notch about a 

 foot square and 6 inches deep is chopped out, and if the wood is found 

 to be unsuitable the tree is left standing. From this wound the pitch 

 flows freely, hardening in irregular masses on the trunk, and thus 

 offering the best of fuel for the next fire. As a rule, fire will burn in 

 such a tree for some time, often eating a large hole halfway or more 

 through the trunk and weakening it to such an extent that it succumbs 

 to the first hard wind. A large part of the " down " timber on the 

 tract has been thrown in this way. Where litter and dry branches 

 collect around the foot of a tree the danger is increased. 



The mature oaks, especially White and Post Oak, are much more 

 sensitive to tire than the mature pines, and are often killed simply by 

 a severe scald. The same is true of Hickory and Sweet Gum. But 

 as these hardwoods growing on pine lands are of but little commercial 

 value, no great loss is caused by their death. 



In the case of young growth, fire is very disastrous. When fire 

 reaches the top of a young pine the tree is, with rare exceptions, 

 killed. An ordinary ground fire, therefore, is pretty sure to kill all 

 pine under 6 feet in height and 5 or 6 years old. Seedling growth of 

 all kinds is consumed down to the roots. But the young hardwoods, 

 and to a large extent both Loblolly and Shortleaf Pine, have the power 

 of sending up sprouts after fire. These sprouts come up from the 

 roots just below the surface, and if not interfered with there is every 

 reason to believe that they will grow into timber trees. No evidence 

 is at hand to show just how many times a young pine may be killed 



