UTILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF LODGEPOLE PINE. 33 



the rows from the seeds from cones remaining on the ground. The 

 same thing is true of brush left in conical piles. To secure repro- 

 duction, however, it is not necessary to leave brush piles on the 

 ground ; also, such a course is seldom, if ever, necessary in order to 

 prevent erosion. From the standpoint of fire protection it is desirable 

 to burn the brush in practically every case. 



Burning brush scattered broadcast exposes the mineral soil. With 

 full sunlight and the opening of sealed cones on the ground, a fairly 

 dense stand of reproduction will be obtained in such cases, although 

 not nearly so dense as that which comes up after a ground fire has 

 killed standing timber, since in the latter case a greater amount of 

 seed is preserved from destruction in the crowns of the trees. Burning 

 an entire area on which the brush has been piled in windrows will 

 result in a moderately dense reproduction between the rows, but no 

 reproduction in the spaces occupied by them. When conical piles 

 are burned the spaces occupied do not immediately come up to young 

 growth. 



The foregoing is true of clean-cut areas. Where a part of the 

 stand is left the chances of reproduction are still better. Piling the 

 brush in conical piles and burning it does the least damage to the 

 remaining green trees and reproduction. Moreover, the least amount 

 of mineral soil is exposed, thus avoiding possible over-dense repro- 

 duction following seeding from above. 



Any considerable amount of brush remaining on a cut-over area 

 greatly increases the fire danger in the remaining stand and for any 

 reproduction which may start. Owing to the very slow decay of 

 brush in the lodgepole-pine region the fire menace continues for a 

 long time if the brush is left unburned. Timber operators familiar 

 with conditions in the lodgepole-pine region say that it costs no 

 more to pile brush for burning under Forest Service regulations than 

 to follow the old method of piling it in windrows, provided the work 

 is well done at the outset. When the brush is not piled properly in 

 the first place it becomes necessary to repile it, which naturally 

 increases the cost. Recently timber operators on the Deerlodge 

 National Forest have been required to burn the brush as the cutting 

 proceeds, whenever weather conditions make it safe to do so. This 

 period of safety covers from seven to nine months in the year. Brush 

 from stull trees is disposed of as fast as the cutting proceeds in any 

 depth of snow encountered in the region, which at times may amount 

 to 6 or 7 feet. In the spring when the snow melts the ground is 

 found to be practically clean. When lagging poles are being cut in 

 snow, however, it is not practicable to burn the tops after the snow 

 accumulates to a depth of about 3 feet, since it is then impossible to 

 carry the tops to the central fire. Even when the snow is less than 3 

 feet deep it is not advisable to burn where less than 100 poles are being 

 obtained in one place, since there is not enough brush to start a good 

 89546°— Bull. 234—15 3 



