(AiRddian Forcslri/ JounuiL Jiilii, 1!>J 



1203 



A Cheap Method of Snow Removal 



A very important part of the work 

 of the U. S. Forest Service is repkmting 

 the burned-over and denuded Irrd 

 which are contained in the 152 

 National Forests. About 12 000 acres 

 of these lands are reforested every 

 year and in order to supply the 

 necessary planting stock twenty-one 

 nurseries with a total capacity of more 

 than 37 million young trees are main- 

 tained. 



The majority of these nurseries are 

 located in mountain valleys of the 

 West where the climate is exceedingly 

 rigorous. During the winter, when 

 the thermometer drops far below 

 zero and the snow^ piles up to a con- 

 siderable depth, all operations have 

 to be practically suspended. 



In some places this heavy snowfall 

 is a rather serious hindrance to early 

 spring planting, since it often happens 

 that the higher bare slopes, where the 

 planting is to be done, are exposed 

 to the sufi and warm winds, and are 

 bare of snow long before the vail ys 

 in which the nurseries are located. 

 On this account, it frequently hap- 

 pens that the snow has to be removed 

 from the nursery beds in order that 

 the planting may be done at the most 

 advantageous time. Wit two or 

 three feet of snow, this is something 

 of a job and entails a considerable ex- 

 penditure of both money and valuable 

 time. 



At the Beaver Creek Nursery, on 

 the Wasatch National Forest, in 

 Utah, which has a capacity of 750,000 

 plants, it was found that by sowing 

 finely pulverized dirt over the snow 

 the melting was so hastened that 

 shoveling was unnecessary. The 

 first experiments were so satisfactory 

 that they were continued and have 

 been adopted as the official snow re- 

 moval method. 



Each fall sufficient supplies of fine 

 dark soil are stored at the nurseries 

 for use the following spring. At the 

 same time the beds of stock to be used 

 for planting are marked by long stakes 

 in order that they may be easily 



identified. About two or three weeks 

 before the stock is needed the soil is 

 sown on the top of the snow, just as 

 grain is sow'n. Hand sleds are used to 

 transport the bulk of the supply, from 

 which a bag slung from the worker's 

 shoulder is filled as needed. By this 

 method one man can remove from 

 three to six feet of compacted snow by 

 one day's work if done sufficiently far 

 in advance. Many commercial nur- 

 serymen will doubtless be able to 

 employ this simple practice to uncover 

 stock needed for early planting, or to 

 prevent losses from fungi which work 

 under deep snow late in spring. 



Fifty-Six Forestry Go's for France 



{Continued from page 1192) 



heavily shelled, fortunately no cas- 

 ualties resulting. 



Of these companies six are em- 

 ployed in the army areas although 

 their work is greatly handicapped 

 by having to operate in small woods, 

 as a rule devastated by shell fire. 

 The daily output is most satisfactory 

 and wood is delivered direct to ar- 

 mies at very short notice. 



Companies, including the Can- 

 adian Construction Company (color- 

 ed) are employed in the Jura Wood 

 The Canadian mills in operation in 

 this area have aroused great interest 

 amongst the French military and 

 civil authorities who have not hesi- 

 tated to express their admiration of 

 the mechanical efficiency evidenced 

 in the design and construction of 

 the mills. 



Ten companies are now working 

 on the lines of communication. Some 

 fine forests have recently been ac- 

 quired for exploitation in this area. 



In 1914-15, Canada imported for 

 structural purposes, southern pine 

 valued at $1,608,788. 



Douglas fir timber, 46 by 46 inches 

 square and 70 feet long, is used in 

 Montreal for harbor work. 



