28 

 (2) Reproduction 



It is further maintained that light fires favor 

 reproduction by destroying litter and btherwiee pre- 

 paring the seedbed by driving away rodents, removing 

 brush and litter and exposing the mineral soil. S'ol- 

 lowing the removal of the mature stand, burning will 

 insure and immediate and uniform young stand. Repro- 

 duction is not desirable in a mature or nearly mature 

 stand because it hinders the growth of the larger trees. 

 When a yound stand occupies the ground, fire has a 

 beneficial selective thinning effect on the dense 

 stands as the defective and hence more inflajnmable 

 trees will be removed, while the remaining trees will 

 be relieved of their lower limbs thus insuring clear 

 lumber in the futurco *^mall trees which come in un- 

 der mature timber never become sufficiently large as 

 to have much value, hence, they might Just as well be 

 prevented from growing the first place. 



(^) Bruah Fields 



As regards the formation of brush fields, light 

 Burning advocates affirm that there is no evidence 

 that brudh areas and openings in the timber belt were 

 ever occupied by trees. Brush fields are a permanent 

 natural cover, not due to fires, and under no condit- 

 ions would an establishment of timber on such areas 



