YALE FORESTRY CLASS IN THE WOODS 



873 



VIRGIN LONG-LEAF PINE 



field 



s, 



was drawn showing the forest types, roads 

 streams, houses and contours. 



"While you are walking through the woods," said the 

 professor in charge, "learn to distinguish between the 

 three species of pine growing here." The long-leaf pine, 

 with its long, thick needles grow- 

 ing in plume-like bunches, bark 

 in long, thin plates and enormous 

 cones which lay scattered on the 

 ground at its base, was not hard 

 to pick out, but the loblolly and 

 short-leaf pines, which grew in 

 greater abundance and possessed 

 smaller needles and cones, could 

 only be distinguished from one 

 another by the difiference in siz: 

 of their bark scales. 



In the swamps and along the 

 bayous grew many different 

 species of southern hardwoods ; 

 Spanish, Black Jack, white and 

 Texas oaks, black and red gum. 

 the winged elm, with its curio'js 

 cork-ridged branches, and grow- 

 ing out of the bayous; the south- 



ern bald cypress, surrounded by the root-like 

 growths protruding from the water, known as 

 "knees." 



Under these tall trees grew a dense and tangled 

 underbrush of shrubs, bushes and vines, often 

 covered with sharp thorns and spines that made 

 traveling through these woods frequently of the 

 greatest discomfort and inconvenience, and de- 

 structive to both clothing and temper. 



At first the nights were cold and the days hot. 

 The thermometer at noon frequently rose to 85 

 in the shade, while at night it fell to 40 and 

 below. During these nights four or five blan- 

 kets and a sweater were none too warm, and 

 at 6.30 in the morning it was a shivery crowd of 

 foresters that peered from the flaps of their 

 tents, and, after a hasty toilet, ran down to the 

 cook house for breakfast. 



Every other Saturday was a holiday and when 

 these long-looked-for days arrived, those of us 

 who had grown tired of camp life and wished 

 to get a glimpse of civilization would shave and 

 change our old flannel shirts, khaki trousers and 

 high boots for a collar and necktie and present- 

 able clothes, and ride into Clarks on the log 

 train. 



Sunday was spent either in Clarks, where we 

 would sometimes go to hear the old Baptist min- 

 ister exhort his congregation in eloquent, and 

 often violent language, or out at camp, where we 

 could take long walks or go fishing in the bayou. 

 The study of the lumbering operations going 

 on all around us occupied two weeks. An in- 

 spection and detailed study was made into the 

 methods, equipment and cost of logging from the 

 felling of trees in the woods to their transportation 

 to the mill at Clarks. This included the building, equip- 

 ment and maintenance of the logging railroad. Later, in 



HAULING LOG.S WITH A MULE TEAM 

 Part of the course of instruction to tlie Yale Forestry students in summer camp consists of inspection 

 and detailed study of the methods, equipment and cost of logging from the felling of the trees in 

 the woods to their transportation to the mill. 



