UTILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF LODGEPOLE PINE. 39 



Within the 25 National Forests in which lodgepole pine is the most 

 important species the lodgepole-pine type has an estimated area of 

 about 9,000,000 acres. The figures for the Deerlodge National Forest 

 show an average annual increment of about 55 board feet. Assuming 

 that the lodgepole-pine forests throughout the region are producing 

 50 board feet per acre per annum, 450,000,000 board feet could and 

 should be cut annually, together with a very large amount of material 

 from tops, small trees, and thinnings too small to scale. To this 

 amount can be added about 300,000,000 board feet produced on the 

 6,000,000 acres of lodgepole-pine type in the 45 National Forests 

 where the species is of commercial but not of primary importance. 

 The grand total of 750,000,000 board feet is approximately 9 times 

 the amount of lodgepole pine now being cut each year. 



REFORESTATION. 



Repeated fires have left considerable areas within the lodgepole- 

 pine zone practically barren of forest growth. Natural reproduction 

 can not be expected on such areas for many years, and it will be 

 necessary to reforest them artificially if they are to return to useful- 

 ness within a reasonable length of time. Where the main object is 

 watershed protection, reforestation work should be confined chiefly 

 to the higher altitudes toward the upper limit of the lodgepole-pine 

 zone, where the forest cover has the greatest protective value. Where 

 the chief object is timber production, the best results will be obtained 

 on the better soils near the central part of the lodgepole-pine zone 

 where the annual precipitation is 21 inches or more. A certain 

 amount of artificial reforestation will also probably be used in the 

 future to supplement natural reproduction after cuttings. 



SEED COLLECTION AND EXTRACTION. 



The fact that lodgepole pine bears some cones practically every 

 year and a heavy crop every two or three years insures a continuous 

 and plentiful seed supply. The cones may be picked either from 

 felled or from standing trees, or gathered from squirrel hoards. 

 Experience, however, has shown the last method to be the only one 

 by which collecting can be done on a large scale at low cost. Cone 

 collection from squirrel hoards is carried on in the fall, usually during 

 September and October, when, the caches are full and easily located 

 in the woods. As much as 15 bushels of cones have been found in 

 a single cache. Cones can usually be bought at contract prices per 

 bushel from local residents who do the collecting. As a rule, one 

 man collects from 3 to 6 bushels per day, the number of cones per 

 bushel ranging from about 1,600 to 2,200. In good years it should be 

 possible to purchase cones for from 30 to 40 cents per bushel, or in 

 exceptionally favorable years for even less. The total cost of cones 

 at the extraction plant should not exceed 50 cents per bushel. 



