FOREST PATHOLOGY IN FOREST REGULATION. 55 



comparatively restricted areas the same beneficial and injurious con- 

 ditions must continue to prevail, which on one hand govern the annual 

 increment and on the other make for annual total loss. Only one 

 single component of the total-loss factor, though a most important 

 one, may be controlled to a certain degree directly. Forest fires are 

 in ever-increasing ratio eliminated from the national forests and, 

 therewith, also the danger of trees being fire scarred and opened to 

 the attacks of heartwood-destroying fungi. But the best of fire pro- 

 tection can not restore to their original state of intactness the over- 

 whelmingly large number of older trees which have been opened by 

 previous fires. The open fire wounds continue to offer an easy 

 entrance to fungi. It is true that fire protection prevents small 

 wounds from becoming larger and keeps healing wounds from being 

 opened again by repeated fires. The sooner such fire-wounded trees, 

 as well as all other undesirable individuals, including all badly 

 injured, diseased, and misshapen ones, can be eliminated from the 

 forest, the better. There is little hope, however, for this to be done 

 outside of timber sales. Adequate fire protection, both of water- 

 sheds and of commercial timber, must of necessity be paramount to 

 silvicultural work of this kind. 



Practically virgin forests may also be influenced by sowing and 

 planting. This is done on so small a scale, compared to the total of 

 existing forests, that we can hardly speak of any real silvicultural 

 change. Knowing, however, that white fir can not be expected to 

 yield full returns in belts subject to lightning and severe frosts, the 

 forester should avoid favoring white fir in such localities. 



FOREST REGULATION THROUGH TIMBER SALES. 



Cutting timber does not in itself constitute sound silviculture. It 

 may lead to regulation, or it may spell ruin to the forest. 



The administration of the national forests is not able to have 

 timber cut by selling it where cutting is most needed. Accessibility, 

 local demand, and last, not least, the quality and condition of the 

 timber are stronger factors in finally locating a timber-sales area 

 than silvicultural needs. A strong admixture of inferior species in 

 Lteelf i3 often sufficient to let an otherwise attractive sale fall through. 

 Here, the prejudice of the purchaser against such species as white fir 

 and incense cedar is responsible for forcing the Forest Service to leave 

 an area badly in aeed of improvement in its virgin state, with all the 

 cumulative risk to which it is exposed. The prejudice against white 

 fir is widely established and not always confined to the lumberman. 



From a silvical point of view the prejudice is directed against its 

 very aggressiveness, which lends to give the species an ascendency 

 over the more, ralliable but less tolerant pines. But the disfavor in 

 which it is held by the forester is really nothing but a reflection of 



