Report of Supervisors' Meeting. 433 



this formula is that in the course of time normal conditions are 

 at least approximated in regard to wood capital. 



The seed tree system of cutting is a poor system on account of 

 the windfall. Clear cutting by the compartment plan is not 

 feasible on our Western National Forests on account of cost of 

 artificial regeneration. The true compartment system under 

 shelterwood may be preferable. Several preliminary thinnings 

 and one seeding thinning should take place. 



The advantages are : 



1. The production of wood and quality are unsurpassed. 



2. The shelter trees may be grown into larger timber than the 

 bulk of the crop and the annual increment laid on the shelter trees 

 is large. 



3. The soil, humus and moisture conditions are not as much 

 affected as in clear cuttings. 



Disadvantages : 



1. Danger to the seedlings from frost, insect, weeds and grass 

 is larger than in the selection system. 



2. The shelter trees may be windthrown. 



3. Great care is required to successfully manage this plan. 



4. Moisture and soil conditions are more disturbed than in the 

 selection system. 



Clear cutting in lodgepole may be advisable. 



In conclusion the value of the selection sytem should be em- 

 phasized and to urge that our shelter forests be regulated to a 

 sustained yield basis and that we aim toward attaining normal 

 forests. 



A general discussion of this paper followed. 



Mr. Shaw and Mr. Morrill were of the opinion that under good 

 management the rotation of Engelmann spruce could be reduced 

 at least 20 per cent. 



Marking SampIvE Areas 



During the past year, the trees on a sample area on a proposed 

 green timber sale have been carefully marked for cutting prior 

 to the singing of the sale contract. Supervisor John McLaren, of 

 the Sopris National Forest read a paper which endorsed this pro- 

 cedure and mentioned the following advantages of it : 



"The first good that results from this plan is that the pur- 



