Marking Western Yellozv Fine. 273 



full crowns make the best seed trees. "Enough seed trees" usually 

 means from two to five to the acre, the number varying with the 

 seed-bearing capacity of the trees. If young trees that are just 

 beginning to bear cones are left, at least five are needed to the 

 acre. From two to four seed trees are enough if they are old 

 and have large, spreading crowns and are wind-firm. The trees 

 left should, wherever possible, be distributed in small groups. 

 This makes them more secure against windfall, and conforms to 

 the grouping tendency of the western Yellow Pine. Leave enough 

 seed trees even where the seedling growth is good, in order to 

 ensure reseeding in case of fire. This method is, at best, unre- 

 liable, and should be used only in extreme cases. 



(4.) These two conditions grade into each other, and the exact 

 method of marking to be used will require nice adjustment on the 

 part of the Forest officer. Arbitrary rules are useless. It is well, 

 however, never to make an opening for more than one-quarter of 

 an acre in the forest, nor to enlarge a natural opening to a greater 

 size, even if the trees left are mature and partially unsound, unless 

 good reproduction is already well established. 



(5.) On all of the drier portions of this type, slash should be 

 lopped and scattered over the openings on the cut-over area. 

 This material will aid reproduction by protecting the soil from 

 evaporation and by gradually forming humus. Where there is 

 clanger from fire, the brush should be piled and burned on a strip 

 approximately 200 feet wide, around the area where the brush is 

 scattered. Where the danger from fire is extreme it may be 

 necessary to pile and burn all the brush." 



The necessity for conservatism in marking Western Yellow 

 Pine in the southwest is well known on account of the drying 

 influences of the wind and sun, and the open character of the 

 stand. It has been particularly emphasized where the Western 

 Yellow Pine borders the woodland type. Here definite rules are 

 in effect that no cutting be allowed where the virgin forest 

 amounts to less than 2.000' B. M. per acre. In addition, a general 

 rule has been promulgated that at least one-third (see paragraph 3) 

 of the present stand be left for seeding, second cut, and protection 

 of the soil. At present the only criticism of a very conservative 

 policy is from the lumberman's viewpoint ; in order to have a suc- 

 cessful sales administration it is vital that the legitimate interests 

 of lumbermen be recognized, consequently, where a very light cut 



