276 Forestry Quarterly. 



able by the proper scattering of brush, provided the fire danger is 

 not too great. 



The literal enforcement of the rule that at least one-third of the 

 stand must be left has not worked well. The poor results from 

 such an arbitrary rule have been plainly emphasized by recent 

 windfalls on the Coconino. Long-boled Western Yellow Pine with 

 scanty crowns were necessarily left under a strict adherence to 

 this rule. Naturally the result has been disastrous windfall and 

 consequently material losses in receipts. This seems to emphasize 

 the impossibility of making ironclad rules, even if prompted by 

 the necessity of emphasizing the need of great conservatism in 

 marking. 



A recent seed test has further emphasized that the seed from 

 over-mature trees has not the same germinative power as has the 

 seed from young, healthy trees, and this is recognized in European 

 marking. According to comparative seed tests between "yellow 

 pine" and "black jack" 68.4 per cent, of the seed from "yellow 

 pine" (11 trees) germinated, while 83.3 per cent, germinated from 

 "black jack" (9 trees). Although the number of trees is too small 

 to give conclusive results, yet it indicates a difference of 14.9 per 

 cent, in favor of seed collected from "black jack" at the end of 

 twenty days' germination. The "yellow pine" from which the 

 seed was collected averaged approximately 330 years, and the 

 "black jack" approximately 131 years. 



An arbitrary rule that "an opening of more than one-quarter of 

 an acre in the forest should never be made" cannot be followed on 

 the ground, but might be justified on paper, in order that rangers 

 should be taught to be conservative. 



The writer heartily endorses the scattering of slash as a matter 

 of protection to reproduction, and in the southwest special care 

 should be taken to scatter it densely enough, so as to give real pro- 

 tection. 



The writer feels that the solution of the marking problem will 

 be accomplished chiefly by personal marking by the very highest 

 officials in the Forest Service, and that paper instructions are, 

 at best, a poor substitute. This belief is gradually becoming 

 universal. 



