DISPOSAL OF INFECTED SLASH 51 



posed, some other method must be fomid to prevent, or at least check, 

 the development of sporophores upon the down material. 



References cited and data given in the text indicate that a partial 

 solution, at least, lies in the possibilities of checking the fungus by 

 desiccation. To this end a free circulation of air about the culled 

 section, a minimum of shade and of contact with the soil and soil 

 moisture, must be maintained. This is best accomplished by a loose 

 stacking of the infected material in the most open spots. The stacking 

 should allow free circulation of air and admission of sunlight. On 

 open and dry slopes, where the moisture conditions are unfavorable 

 to fungous development, the infected slash can be left in place. Green 

 infected slash is best handled by stacking, since its green condition 

 \\ould present difficulties in an attempt to destroy by fire, especially 

 it the amount of available brush is small. Usually the brush is not 

 burned until some time has elapsed after cutting and a certain amount 

 of the water in the log has evaporated. To counterbalance the green- 

 ness of the infected slash, such factors as the dry, inflammable bark off 

 older trees, resin exudations and the resin content of the wood and 

 bark, are to be considered. 



Agricultural land or areas in creek bottoms and draws which are 

 clean-cut are nearly always cleaned up after logging, by broadcast 

 burning accompanied by suitable fire lines. Such areas, owing to this 

 forest policy, are automatically made hygienic to a high degree, in 

 respect to forest pathology, and need be considered no further. 



It would be well to discuss here the application of slash disposal 

 methods to the most important forest types of the region in which 

 timber sales are being conducted. The types in which sales are most 

 frequent are the western white pine, larch-fir, spruce, lodgepole and 

 western yellow pine. Of these the western white pine, larch-fir and 

 spruce types are ^sufficiently alike in respect to the moisture conditions 

 of the sites upon which they occur to be grouped together. The lodo-e- 

 pole and western yellow pine types likewise are somewhat similar in 

 this respect, and can be considered as a separate group. Due to the 

 moist and shaded sites, the environmental factors present upon the 

 first group mentioned are favorable to the development of fungous 

 fruiting bodies, and the inferior species, western hemlock and grand 

 lir. are present in the various mixtures. Also much infected slash 

 is usually left upon the sale. areas after logging, due to a large amount 

 of rot pre.sent prior to cutting. A majority of the brush will in most 

 cases be used where there is much hemlock and grand fir, in gcitin"- 



