Supervisors' Meeting. 69 



Future VVork." In California there are about 28,000,000 acres 

 of National Forest land containing a stand of timber estimated at 

 approximately 90,000,000,000 ft. b. m. This is to be improved 

 and its use regulated in such a way that the flow of streams may 

 not be interefered with and that a continuous supply of timber 

 may be available after private forest lands which are being cut 

 without any thought of the future, have been exhausted. With 

 the cutting over of the large private holdings the demand for 

 National Forest timber will greatly increase, market prices will 

 advance, and the Forest Service will be in a position to impose 

 conditions upon purchasers which tend toward good forestry, the 

 enforcement of which to-day is impracticable. This will include 

 the removal of insect infested and diseased trees, the cutting of 

 undesirable species to lower diameters in order to eliminate them 

 from the stand, building of fire breaks where necessary, and the 

 closer use or utilization of lumber now left in the tops, stumps 

 and limbs. The intelligent management of the Forest implies 

 the preparation long in advance of carefully worked out plans. 

 Our so-called reconnaissance work, which is nothing more nor 

 less than stock taking, is the first systematic step toward regu- 

 lation. In the National Forests of California are about 2,000,000 

 acres of land once forested, which is not producting timber today. 

 Of this it is estimated that only 400,000 acres will reforest itself 

 naturally from seed trees, leaving 600,000 acres to be dealt with 

 artificially. Great activity in the prosecution of this important 

 work is essential. During the past year 6,000 pounds of seed 

 have been collected for use on the National Forests in District 5, 

 and next year the amount will be greatly increased. During the 

 past season the seed-spot method of sowing was used entirely. 

 The question of reforestation is still largely in an experimental 

 stage. Areas where forests can not be started by seeding will be 

 planted. No planting work to speak of has yet been done in 

 northern California. However, steps have been taken to prepare 

 for this work, and within a few years it is expected that large 

 quantities of seedhngs will be available for planting in the 

 northern position of the State. 



Swift Berry of the District Office introduced the subject 

 "Planting." Planting for watershed purposes on land which is 

 not capable of producing a comm^ercial forest is desirable only in 

 case the cover to be produced will be more valuable than the 



