SILVICULTURAL SYSTEMS OF CUTTING 109 



Case 2 is the most common condition met. The recommended 

 treatment is to cut the hemlock, white fir, and over-mature cedar as 

 closely as possible and leave from four to six white pine trees of 

 merchantable size per acre. Occasionally a few small white pines are 

 left. In some sections of the western white pine region the stands 

 contain considerable understory of thrifty western red cedar. It is 

 customary to take out such trees as will make a pole, 30 feet long 

 with an 8-inch top or larger, and to reserve the trees under this size for 

 further growth. If the stand is of such character that it becomes 

 necessary to open it severely, these understory cedars are very apt to 

 sun-scald and become worthless. Usually many of the hemlock and 

 white fir trees are defective and must be felled; often neither of these 

 species will justify the cost of logging and milling and must therefore 

 be left in the woods, even if sound. It is absolutely necessary that 

 the stand be opened up sufficiently to give satisfactory conditions for 

 white pine regeneration. If it is not opened up sufficiently the tol- 

 erant inferior species will capture the site, and it is therefore often 

 necessary to fell and leave much hemlock and white fir in the woods 

 even though sound. Slash is piled and burned. 



Case 3 is met with much more often in private cuttings than in 

 National Forest operations, since it occurs on the better sites and was 

 alienated early in the competition for timber lands. If in an advanced 

 stage, there is nothing to do but cut the stand clean and plant. All 

 the merchantable timber is removed, and all remaining trees, except 

 larch (if left because of lack of market), are felled. The area is 

 then surrounded by fire lines and just as soon as conditions will permit 

 in the fall is burned broadcast. The object is to get as clean a burn 

 as possible and yet keep the fire within bounds. The area is then 

 planted to western white pine. 



Douglas Fir Type Pacific Coast. This type offers one of the most 

 difficult silvicultural problems of the Forest Service. Practically the 

 entire stand consists of species tolerant of shade, with Douglas fir, the 

 most desired species, the least tolerant. The stands operated in the 

 past have been largely old stands, mature and over-mature and not of 

 a character to lend themselves to a selection system of cutting which 

 will favor Douglas fir, the most-desired species. In other words, se- 

 lective cutting has a tendency to "high-grade" the forest and leave a 

 stand of inferior species which will largely control the composition of 

 future crops. The principal species in mixture are Douglas fir, west- 

 ern hemlock, white fir, western red cedar, and Sitka spruce; the last 

 two species are not always present. Another factor which it has been 



