A PHASE OF FIRE PROTECTION. 



By Theodore S. Woolsey, Jr. 



The chir pine (Piiius longifolia) at the head waters of the 

 Ganges in northeastern India is managed under the shelterwood 

 system, with a reproduction period of some ten to twelve years. 

 The results of the application of this system seemed satisfactory 

 when the Jaunsar forest was visited in 1904. There was but one 

 objection. As it happened, quite a considerable area of regener- 

 ated stands had been practically burnt clear prior to my visit. 

 There were no seed trees scattered over the burnt area and the 

 trees in the higher regions could only restock the area after a seri- 

 ous delay. It was thought at that time too expensive to plant 

 or sow. A rather difficult and undesirable situation ! 



As a result of this object lesson, all the more striking because of 

 the progress of fire protection in India on so called "protected 

 forests,"' it has always been my practice to leave at least a few 

 seed trees — say one or two per acre — even if pine reproduction 

 is already complete on the area to be logged. Perhaps the first 

 direct application of this principle in America may be found in 

 section 22 T23 N. R. 4E. G. & I. R. M. Tusayam Forest, Ari- 

 zona, a Western yellow pine stand. So much by way of intro- 

 duction. 



When the Republic of Genoa ceded the island of Corsica to 

 France, it was the engineer branch and not the forest branch 

 which first took control. But when they did assume the responsi- 

 bility, they found that fires and excessive grazing had reduced 

 most of the forest to mere brush, (locally known as "maquis"). 

 But high up in the mountains, usually above three thousand 

 feet altitude, there were still fine forests of Corsican pine {"pin 

 laricio") They found large areas of fully stocked, even aged 

 stands, and consequently decided that the shelterwood system 

 should be applied. After the seed fellings, the regeneration was 

 fairly successful, although it is judged that where the grazing of 

 goats was especially severe, the young growth did not come in 

 as uniformly as was desired. During the early administration, 

 the severity of the control incited the local grazers to armed op- 



