THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST 47 



trees left may be good seeders, although small. Little capital 

 is tied up in them and they may be utilized later to equal 

 advantage. A mature fir forest of the Pacific coast may have 

 no small fruiting trees at all, and if left such are likely to 

 be knocked down in logging. To leave 20 per cent of the 

 large trees standing would sometimes tie up 20,000 feet to the 

 acre, worth $40 or $50. Age and windfall may cause loss 

 equal to stumpage increase; moreover, they can never be 

 utilized without the same expense for roads and machinery 

 that is necessary in the original logging. The second crop 

 will not be allowed to reach a size requiring such equipment. 

 In considering possible windfall loss, not the normal wind 

 but the possible maximum storm within the entire life of the 

 second crop must be reckoned with. 



It is probably safe to say of mature Pacific coast fir that 

 leaving enough merchantable timber on a cutting area for 

 adequate seeding costs more than to use it and restock. Be- 

 stocking can be done for $2 to $10 an acre, which would leave 

 a decided margin for profit on the seed trees. And if we 

 undertake to reduce this balance by leaving very few seed 

 trees, we decrease the certainty of successful reproduction and 

 increase the danger of entire failure through windfall or ac- 

 cidental destruction when we burn the slashing. It cannot 'be 

 denied, however, that fire after planting would result in com- 

 plete loss, while seed trees might restock the area again and 

 again after such accidents. 



Natural Reproduction. 



On the other hand, natural reproduction does not always 

 require the leaving of merchantable timber on the cutting 

 area. Frequently there are enough crooked or conky trees to 

 serve the purpose. These defects are not directly transmissi- 

 ble through seed to the offspring, although conk is infectious 

 and the young crop should be protected by the removal of the 

 diseased parents after it is well started. 



Again, seeding from adjacent timber can often be relied 



