THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BRUSH-DISPOSAL POLICY 



FOR THE YELLOW-PINE FORESTS 



OF THE SOUTHWEST 



By H. H. Chapman 

 Professor of Forestry, Yale School of Forestry 



Brush disposal in the Southwestern District (District 3) has centered 

 about the western yellow-pine type largely. Its importance lies in the 

 fact that next to marking the timber the method of handling brush is 

 the most important factor within the control of the management by 

 which conditions favorable to silviculture, and especially reproduction, 

 can be created or influenced. In a type and region where natural re- 

 production is unusually difficult to secure and planting is expensive and 

 its final results uncertain, whatever aid can be given by proper brush 

 disposal becomes increasingly important. 



Brush disposal may affect management in several ways, and the 

 problem becomes one of weighing the relative advantages of each 

 factor and securing as great a sum total of advantages as possible. 

 These factors may be stated as : 



1. Fire protection. The paramount object is to reduce or control 

 the fire risk created by the slash. 



2. Protection against insects. The prevention of the breeding of 

 destructive species in the slash. 



3. Soil protection against erosion on steep slopes. 



4. Favorable influence on reproduction by creating conditions of: 



(a) Proper seed bed. 



{b) Protection of seedlings against climatic factors. 



(r) Protection of seedlings against grazing animals. 



5. Reduced cost of brush disposal as a means of increasing stumpage 

 values in appraisals. 



6. Simplicity and practicability of administration, insuring the carry- 

 ing out of the measures agreed upon. 



None of these factors can be neglected in a policy if it is to stand the 

 test of actual practice. 



The ideal policy is, then, one which will most rapidly and completely 

 reduce the fire risk, the insect risk, give proper soil protection, secure 



693 



