506 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



November 



there is no species better able to re- 

 cover itself after a fire than lodgepole 

 pine. Instances of recovery are com- 

 mon where more than half of one side 

 has been burned away. This process 

 of healing begins with the uninjured 

 portion and extends all the way round 

 the stem, and after the tree has nicely 

 started to repair itself, it often seems 

 to grow faster than it did before the 

 fire occurred. The probable reason 



area of a burn would be limited. 

 Burned strips and blocks are frequent 

 in lodgepole pine regions, showing 

 where the susceptible lodgepole has 

 been destroyed, while other species 

 like the red fir have been left intact. 

 In less dense forests of mature trees 

 the lodgepole is able to withstand rav- 

 ages of fire nearly as well as other 

 pines and spruces ; the bark is thicker, 

 the ground is not covered with that 



Types of Young Lodgepole Growth About 20 to 25 Years Old. 



for this is because of the more light 

 and root space available by the death 

 of many surrounding trees. 



Lodgepole pine, on account of its 

 dense growth, thin bark and dry res- 

 inous character of the wood, burns 

 more freely than many other species 

 and will prolong and extend a for- 

 est fire, whereas if the forest were 

 composed of more fire-resistant spe- 

 cies, the opportunity for extending 



mass of dry pole stuff, and the dis- 

 tance between individuals prevents fire 

 from passing from tree to tree. 



The re-seeding of burned areas by 

 spruce, fir, and most pines is effected 

 from seed of border trees or from an 

 occasionally surviving specimen, and 

 not from the destroyed trees them- 

 selves, as in the case of lodgepole pine. 

 The tender cones of these species do 

 not protect the seed within, and usu- 



