52 Forestry Quarterly. 



present at least, absorb the entire amount which the forests of the 

 region are capable of producing. But what it needs it needs 

 badly ; for many of these communities are remote from a rail- 

 road ; and some which are on a railroad are such distances from 

 the large lumber centers of the Pacific Coast and Gulf States that 

 freight rates make the cost of imported lumber excessive. Hence 

 some of these communities depend for their very existence on a 

 sustained yield of forest products. A certain amount can be 

 reserved for each local market, allowing for an increased demand 

 due to the growth of the community, and the rest be cut oflF in 

 large sales. The opening up of the region due to the first cut 

 may stimulate settlement. 



The Forest. 



Three main silvical factors stands out conspicuously above all 

 others and determine the management of western yellow pine. 

 The first two are external factors, the second is inherent in the 

 character of the tree, or at least a well established characteristic 

 which may for the present be considered inherent. The first 

 point is lack of moisture, the second frost, and the third the dis- 

 tribution of age classes. The first two points will determine the 

 method of securing reproduction in each individual instance, the 

 third will determine the general nature of the silvicultural system 

 over broad areas. 



The drought is most felt in April, May and June, just when 

 the seed requires moisture for germination. The result is that 

 except in favorable seasons, reproduction can not be depended 

 upon without the shelter of trees or of a covering of brush. 

 (See Circular 174 "Reproduction of Western Yellow Pine in the 

 Southwest".) Frost also, greatly hinders reproduction. Many 

 of the seedlings in opening do not start till after the July rains 

 have come and then are killed back by early frosts in the autumn 

 before they have had time to form woody tissue. Frost injury, 

 as well as the effect of drought, is very much lessened by the pro- 

 tection afforded by trees or by a covering of brush. These two 

 factors point to the need of shelter in securing reproduction. 



The distribution of age classes is into small even-aged groups 

 of from two to twenty acres. These groups are so well dis- 

 tributed that often a single acre will contain every age class, each 



