GENERAL MLW Ol ^LLD KiI,.N 



Located at Wyeth, Oregon, the Wyeth Seed Kiln is typical of the type of plant where the 

 Douglas fir seeds are prepared for germination. (Fig. 4.) 



Isecause the insect attack is then con- 

 centrated. 



SELECTING TIMBER SALE SEED TREES 



With the exception of the factors of 

 soil quality and health of the tree, all 

 considerations in this matter can be 

 subordinated to commercial expediency. 

 Since every tree left on a cuttinj^ reduces 

 the lumber \'ield of the area to the ex- 

 tent of its own merchantable volume, it 

 is essential to leave as few trees as are 

 necessary to assure the reforestation of 

 the area. The best seed tree, therefore, 

 from the lumberman's standpoint, wottld 

 be one which is worthless for Itimber, 

 hence a tree which is either defective or 

 below merchantable size. 



From the standpoint of the silvicul- 

 turist, the best tree to leave would be 

 the one which produces the greatest 

 c[uantity of good seed per tree. The 

 present study indicates that medium- 

 aged (200 3()() years), rather large trees 

 (3 to 4 feet in diameter) produce five 

 times as much good seed as very small 

 young trees or very old large trees. Un- 

 fortunately, such trees are also the most 



400 



valuable for lumber and conseqtientl}' 

 the most costl}^ to leave. 



Young or old trees can be left as seed 

 trees, but the ntimber left should be 

 guided by the amount of seed j^roduced 

 as jttst stated. 



Oijcn-grown trees should be preferred. 

 These yield more seed and better seed- 

 lings, and are also more windfirm than 

 forest-grown trees. 



Avoid, if practicable, leaving trees 

 which grow on local jjatches of poor soil. 

 These yield less seed and smaller seed- 

 lings than trees on good soil. 



A\'oid leaving diseased trees. These 

 ] produce less good seed and smaller seed- 

 lings than sotind trees, other things 

 being equal. There is also a possibility 

 that the jjrogeny of such trees will be 

 of low vigor in resisting disease. 



Regarding the last rule little can be 

 declared with certainty. Whether the 

 tendency to disease is inherited ; whether 

 this tendency, if inherited, is olTset by giv- 

 ing the ofTspring the advantage of a more 

 favorable environment; and whether 

 we actually lower the quality of the 

 forest by lea\nng diseased seed trees — 



