70 Forestry Quarterly. 



existing brush cover. Planting problems in California, especially 

 in the southern portion of the State, are exceedingly difficult 

 owing to the long dry season, unfavorable locations, and enemies 

 such as rabbits, squirrels, etc. The greater portion of the planting 

 work in central and northern California will undoubtedly consist 

 of direct seeding. 



Dr. E. P. Meinecke discussed the matter of requiring pur- 

 chasers to cut dead and diseased trees in timber sales in consider- 

 ation of reduced stumpage rates. Disease and death of trees are 

 caused not only by fungi or insects. Lightning, storm and fire 

 are highly destructive, and man is entirely helpless as far as 

 lightning and storm are concerned. Lightning does far more 

 harm than it is commonly credited with, through injury to the 

 trees, which permits the entrance of the germinating spores 

 of injurious fungi. Aside from fire the most dangerous 

 enemies of the forests are insects, mistletoes, and fungi. 

 White fir suffers more from mistletoe than other species. 

 Needle diseases are far more important in California 

 than either in the east or in Europe. The diseases best known 

 are caused by wood destroying fungi. Under present condi- 

 tions the only means of getting rid of trees infected with these 

 diseases are timber sales, administrative use, and free use. At 

 the present time the only important help can come from timber 

 sales. Effort is now for the first time being made to have every 

 marked tree, whether merchantable or not, felled by the pur- 

 chaser. The felling of unmerchantable timber requires that some 

 fonn of compensation be made the purchaser. The most practi- 

 cal way under present conditions appears to be a reduction of the 

 stumpage rate. Ordinarily the reduction will be very small in 

 comparison to the great benefit that will result to the forest from 

 the decrease in the danger from fire and from insect and fungus 

 infestation, and the benefit to the composition of the forest. On 

 a specified sale area would be marked about 500,000 feet out of a 

 total of 7,000,000 feet more than would be marked under old 

 regulations. Two million feet of sound timber would have to be 

 left standing after cutting, or 10,000 feet to the acre. Out of the 

 extra 500,000 feet cut, which includes snags and unmerchantable, 

 doubtful, and undesirable trees, quite a number will contain some 

 merchantable timber to be paid for which would otherwise go to 

 waste. The great advantage will be that on the tract will be left 



