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AMERICAN FORESTRY 



be periodic rather than continuous. General interest in 

 forest problems is quickening in California as well as 

 elsewhere. A forest "reform wave" is in the making. 

 Many are asking the questions: "Is the forested area 

 of our country being managed so as to ensure us an 

 adequate perpetual supply of timber?" "If not, what 

 action is necessary in order to accomplish this?" Our 

 President is asking this question. My reply for Cali- 

 fornia is emphatically "No" to the first question, and to 

 the second, "Better protection and regulation." These 

 replies are too brief and too stereotyped to convey much 

 meaning without further explanation. 



We have seen that about two-thirds of the timber in 

 the state is in private hands and that ninety-two per 

 cent of the cut is derived from private holdings. It is 

 therefore clear that at present the public is much more 



STAND OF YELLOW PINE AFTER COMPLETION OF LOGGING 

 OPERATIONS. STANISLAUS NATIONAL FOREST, CALIFORNIA 



vitally interested in the methods employed by private 

 operators than in those used on the National Forests. 

 The National Forest practice may be described briefly. 

 The timber cut is closely utilized. Refuse is piled 

 and burned. Dead and diseased trees are felled to reduce 

 fire danger and prevent infection. The immature trees, 

 which usually make up about twenty per cent of the 

 stand over twelve inches in diameter at breast height, are 

 reserved and a reasonable degree of care is exercised to 



protect these young trees, as well as the smaller growth, 

 from logging injury. These measures tend to improve 

 the forest. 



In the main, satisfactory reproduction of valuable 

 species is being secured on cut-over areas within the 

 National Forests and the prospects for a second cut of 

 from 5M to 15M per acre within fifty to seventy-five 

 years are excellent, provided fire is kept out. The fire 

 hazard is excessive on areas where logging is going on. 

 This is due to the use of locomotives and steam machin- 



LARGE YELLOW PINE 80 INCHES IN DIAMETER. SIERRA 

 NATIONAL FOREST, CALIFORNIA 



ery and all too frequently the practices outlined above 

 are nullified by fire. More money which would enable 

 the Forest Service to secure adequate modern equipment 

 and adequate trained forces of men, is seriously needed. 

 Equally necessary is the attainment and standardization 

 of successful fire fighting technique. The Forest Service 

 has been strangely slow in initiating scientific studies of 

 fire protection and suppression problems, but such studies 

 are now underway, and give great future promise. 



Since the lumberman's object is to convert trees into 

 boards as economically as possible, and since the above 

 outlined forestry practices add about 80 cents per M to 

 operating costs, it is not surprising that we do not 

 find them widely prevalent on privately owned land. 

 The increasing demand for California forest products 

 has, however, stimulated close utilization, and in this 

 respect just now, there is but little difference between 

 the lumberman's and the forester's methods. Stumps 

 are generally 24 inches or less in height and tops are 

 closely utilized. The white fir and cedar in mixed 



