BRUSH DISPOSAL PROBLEM 51 



result will be a good clean-up of the debris on the area, leaving the 

 mineral soil in the proper condition for the reception of tree seed 

 at the time of year when the seed is falling. No growth of brush 

 will come up on the area until the following spring when the young 

 tree seedlings will have an even chance' with the brush and weeds. 

 If it has not been possible to fell all of the snags, burning in the fall 

 will insure the extinguishment of whatever snags may be smoldering 

 before the next dry season comes around. 



"The collection of brush and burning it in piles is universally 

 practiced in the Forest Service timber sales in the yellow pine region 

 of this District. The main principle is to get rid of as much of the 

 brush as possible and at the same time to do the least damage by 

 fire to the timber left uncut, and to the yoimg growth and seedUngs. 

 It has been our experience that it costs the timber sale purchaser 

 from 20 to 25 cents to pile the brush, and from four to five cents to 

 btun it in piles, per thousand feet B. M. This costs varies with 

 conditions. In many places where the timber is bushy and there 

 is a large amount of foUage, the cost of piling may run considerably 

 higher than 2 5 cents per thousand. In one of oiir large timber sales 

 on the Whitman Forest in eastern Oregon it requires on the average, 

 about one man to pile the brush resulting from the cutting of about 

 15,000 feet B. M. daily. We are becoming more insistent that the 

 biuming of brush piles must be done in such a manner as to cause 

 the least possible damage to timber left standing. In many cases 

 pUes should not be burned at aU where there is a danger of scorching 

 adjacent timber. You can readily see how futile it would be to 

 mark the timber for cutting, in a most careful manner, and then 

 have a considerable amount of the trees left for seed or protection, 

 or even a second cut, damaged by careless brush burning. 



"I am enclosing for your information a circular letter containing 

 instructions for the piling and burning of brush in yellow pine 

 timber which I think you may find interesting. 



U. S. FOREST SERVICE 



Instructions for Brush Burning Under the Selection 

 System of Cutting in District VI. 



"In most cases where the selection system is practiced in this 

 District, i.e. throughout the yellow pine type and most of the mixed 

 forest types east of the Cascades, the brush is piled and burned in 

 logging operations on the National Forests. 



"The following instructions are issued in regard to methods 

 of brush piling and burning in order that this most vital and far 

 too often poorly managed part of our administration of selection 

 cuttings may be handled tti the best possible fashion. 



"Piling Brush. — The first step in successful brush disposal 

 is to secure good piles, and this requires the observance of the 

 following provisions : 



"i. The large limbs should be lopped ofiE the tops so that 

 where piles are made on the tree tips, the brush will lie compactly. 



