24 BULLETIN 308, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



ESSENTIALS OF FOREST MANAGEMENT. 



Forest management aims to make the forest continuously produc- 

 tive of the largest quantity and at the same time the most useful or 

 valuable quality of timber. It deals essentially with second growth, 

 including in the South the so-called " old field " stands. The increas- 

 ing scarcity of virgin timber is daily developing new uses for second 

 growth, and stands formerly considered of no value are now becoming 

 commercial assets. Owners will find it more and more profitable, 

 therefore, to employ intensive methods of handling timberlands. 



Under forest management, it is necessary first of all to protect the 

 growing tree crop against fire and other harmful agencies. The age 

 at which the stand should be cut, or the period of rotation, must be 

 determined in advance upon the basis of the size and kind of wood 

 desired. The tree density, or amount of growing stock on the ground, 

 strongly influences the growth and should be regulated by thinning 

 or artificial restocking. Cutting so as to secure complete natural re- 

 production is of great importance. 



PROTECTION. 



FIRE. 



Owners of southern pine lands now realize that enormous loss and 

 injury result every year from forest fires. They will be interested 

 therefore in methods of preventing fires as far as is possible and of 

 controlling at an early stage those which are started. To be sure, 

 shortleaf pine regenerates vigorously by sprouts during early life 

 when subject to greatest fire injury. The injury caused to older 

 trees, however, by even a surface fire is very often recorded in the 

 entrance of destructive fungi, or " punks," through the fire scars, 

 and retarded growth, due to the removal of the protective layer of 

 leaf litter ("pine straw") and soil enriching humus. The loss of 

 trees by repeated fires during a period of 30 or 40 years and conse- 

 quent reduction in the yield is surprisingly large. The person start- 

 ing a fire which spreads to his neighbor's forest is rightfully held 

 responsible for the destruction of property. The best protection lies 

 in the hearty cooperation of all landowners and communities in the 

 enforcement of efficient State fire laws. When rightly planned and 

 constructed, fire lines are very helpful in protecting growing timber, 

 and are proving effective in the yellow pine on the National Forests 

 of Florida and Arkansas. A double furrow stops slowly burning 

 surface fires and is a good base from which to fight others. Fire 

 lines are best constructed by opening one or more furrows on each 

 side of a strip 4 to 8 yards wide and, in favorable weather burning 

 over the intervening ground. 



