340 



woods to release the pine. Good hard- 

 woods were left; so were food and 

 shelter trees for wildlife. 



To help check the encroachment of 

 brush on large areas that had insuffi- 

 cient seed trees, 12,000 acres were 

 planted to loblolly pine and longleaf 

 pine. From 500 to 700 loblolly pine 

 seedlings per acre survived; their en- 

 emy was fusiform rust (Cronartium 

 fusiforme). Brown spot disease and 

 hogs and sheep destroyed some longleaf 

 pine seedlings, but 400 to 500 survived 

 per acre. ( In some places natural lob- 

 lolly reproduction now is encroaching 

 into the longleaf pine and is causing 

 some concern, because loblolly pine on 

 poor sites is especially susceptible to 

 fusiform rust disease.) 



ALREADY,, AFTER 13 YEARS of protec- 

 tion and management, the results can 

 be seen. People who visit the area now 

 find it hard to believe that a few years 

 ago the tract was almost worthless. It is 

 stocked with a merchantable stand of 

 about 3,000 board feet an acre 10 

 times the volume that existed when the 

 land was purchased. A steady stream of 

 sawlogs, pulpwood, railroad ties, fuel 

 wood, and other products comes out of 

 the forest. It has made a great change 

 in the economic and community life of 

 adjoining towns and villages. 



At first, because of the poor stand, 

 little timber was sold. From 1936 to 

 1942, only 756,000 board feet were cut. 

 The annual cut since then has been: 

 In 1942, 2,190,000 board feet; 1943, 

 3,048,000; 1944, 5,304,000; 1945, 5,- 

 133,000; 1946, 8,333,000; 1947, 15,- 

 072,000; and, in 1948, 25,296,000. 



Rapid restocking and growth of tim- 

 ber under effective fire protection made 

 possible this unusual, steady increase. 



Today the timber stands and growth 

 are estimated as follows: Present vol- 

 ume of saw timber, 330 million board 

 feet, and 190 million of pulpwood; an- 

 nual growth of saw timber, 35 million 

 board feet, and 1 1 million of pulpwood. 



The annual cut of saw timber in 

 1948-52 is put at 12 million board feet, 

 and of pulpwood, 5 million. In 1952- 



of Agriculture 1949 



57, the annual cut will be about 20 mil- 

 lion board feet; the cut will increase 

 gradually until it reaches a potential 

 cut of approximately 70 million board 

 feet a year by 1970 or so. The inten- 

 tion is to sell the sawlog timber first 

 and then the pulpwood. After the sale 

 of pulpwood will come whatever silvi- 

 cultural work is needed, such as remov- 

 ing the unmerchantable hardwoods 

 which overtop pine. Cutting will be 

 regulated so that food and den trees are 

 left for game. 



Some of the areas are being cut for 

 the second time in 13 years. The short 

 cutting intervals 5 years for pulp- 

 wood, 10 years for sawlogs are pos- 

 sible because of rapid growth and the 

 good system of forest roads. 



On one 20-acre parcel in Scott 

 County, 2,585 board feet an acre were 

 cut in 1941. The second cut, 2,300 

 board feet of logs and 4 cords of pulp- 

 wood an acre, was made in 1946; the 

 grade of the second cut ran 20 percent 

 better than the 1941 cut. It is estimated 

 that the plot now has 10,000 board feet 

 per acre of good saw timber. 



ADMINISTRATION of the Bienville 

 National Forest is made difficult be- 

 cause it is comprised of many small, 

 scattered tracts. It is not a large, solid 

 block of Government-owned timber- 

 land, but its boundaries enclose 382,- 

 820 acres, of which only 46 percent is 

 federally owned. Such scattered own- 

 ership increases the cost of all phases 

 of administration and adds to the prob- 

 lems of management : Sometimes prop- 

 erty lines are poorly marked and in 

 dispute; matters of fire control and 

 public relations are harder to handle. 



Ivo W. Miller, the Bienville district 

 ranger, recognized that situation when 

 he returned from the war and took 

 over. He determined on a dual aim: 

 To make the forest contribute to the 

 welfare of the neighboring farmers and 

 others, and to secure their interest and 

 cooperation in its protection and man- 

 agement. He believed they should take 

 part in their own forestry program and 

 should appreciate the values of for- 



