66 Forest Club Annual 



It follows that when fire is kept out for a few years a dense 

 undergrowth takes possession of the ground, and it seems 

 that the forest must go through a "brush" stage before an- 

 other stand can be obtained. However, if fire is kept out it 

 is certain that the undergrowth will gradually become more 

 open and the basis for a future stand will be assured. 



The Forest Service has done much toward controlling 

 fires by the erection of a number of look-out stations upon the 

 highest mountains. These stations are provided with instru- 

 ments and charts so that fires can be accurately located almost 

 as soon as they are started. This makes it possible to get men 

 to the fire before it has gained much headway. The system 

 would do much to decrease the amount of area burned over 

 each year, but the fire question can never be solved until a 

 more favorable public sentiment is secured. 



UTILIZATION. 



One of the greatest problems of forest management in 

 the Ozarks is the close utilization of the present mature 

 timber. In the past only the best timber has been cut out by 

 small operators with small portable mills. The stave and 

 heading mills have used only White Oak of large size and best 

 quality and in most cases used only the clear length of the 

 tree, leaving a large amount of good material in the woods. 

 Stave bolts and heading bolts must be 14 inches in diameter 

 at the small end, and it is evident that a large amount of 

 material is left in the tops which might be used for ties, furni- 

 ture stock, etc. The small sawmills probably practiced closer 

 utilization of the individual trees than the stave and heading 

 mills but these .also used only the largest and best trees of 

 White Oak and Shortleaf Pine. 



The manner in which these operations have been con- 

 ducted not only causes a waste of good material, but inferior 

 species are left to become the dominant trees and to seed up 

 the ground. It is the policy of the Forest Service in Timber 

 Sales to encourage the purchase of timber by companies who 

 have machinery with which they can manufacture several 

 classes of product. In connection with stave and heading 

 operations it is desirable that there be equipment for the pro- 

 duction of wagon stock, furniture squares and other small 

 dimensions. With this equipment the operators can not only 



