36 BULLETIN 722, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



portant in connection with the girdUng sometimes done for the pur- 

 pose of removing seed trees of undesirable species. 



In view of the need of a rapid destruction of fungus-infected trees, 

 viz, those that ma}^ not be considered safe to leave on sales areas, 

 there is much in favor of burning the trees severely and allowing 

 them to stand. Girdling trees by fire is an old and successful practice. 

 There should be sufficient loppings from the other merchantable 

 trees that when piled about the base of the hemlocks and burned 

 will effect their death without much injury to the forest soil or to the 

 seeds of desirable species which may be embedded in the soil. 



Thinnings whenever conformable to the conditions of the sales 

 areas are of importance in greatly increasing the vigor and there- 

 fore presumably the ability to resist fungus attack in the remaining 

 infected trees, and apparently reducing the number of viable and 

 spore-producing fruiting bodies produced. 



Under certain conditions where it ife found practicable, a method 

 of control by fire can be very efi'ectively used. It has-been observed 

 that in cases where the down logs of hemlock were left in a sufii- 

 ciently shaded and moist situation sporophores of EcJiinodontium 

 tinctorium were developed, which were a source of infection to the 

 remaining stand. The cutting of all infected trees and the piling 

 and burning of all infectious cull material along with the brush will 

 not only remove the fungus-infected wood but will prevent the 

 formation of infection-spreading sporophores. 



SUMMARY. 



Western hemlock, a tree subject to prejudice by lumbermen and 

 now beginning to find its place in the lumber markets, is abundantly 

 distributed throughout the northwestern United States and western 

 Canada, t 



It is found to be subject to a large percentage of decay, which is 

 partly accountable for the prejudice against it. 



Echinodontium tinctorium E. and E., the Indian-paint fungus, is 

 responsible for practically all the decay in standing timber of western 

 hemlock, causing a stringy brown-rot of the heartwood which extends 

 to all parts of the tree. 



In general, the sites and associations of western hemlock are 

 favorable to the development of decay, and the moisture relation 

 seems to play an important part in this respect. The absence of 

 large quantities of resm, the tolerant habit of the species, the early 

 and abundant formation of branch stubs, and the large number of 

 spores produced yearly — all these are important factors in the rapid 

 and extensive development of decay in the stand. 



