FOEESTRY LESSON'S ON" HOME WOODLANDS 21 



Forest rangers employed by the States and Government for the ad- 

 ministration and protection of the State and national forests. 

 Private timberland owners protecting their lands in cooperative 

 effort with the State and Federal Governments. What type of men 

 are required for forest rangers whose duties require them to live 

 out of doors and ride or work in all kinds of weather? Each 

 national forest divided into districts in charge of rangers. Fire- 

 protective plans worked out in great detail for preventing, detecting, 

 and fighting fires as soon as possible after they start. Fire-fighting 

 equipment, such as lookout peaks and towers, telephone lines, and fire- 

 fighting tool boxes at convenient points over the forest. Cleared 

 and burned lines as firebreaks. (Fig. 13.) Airplanes and radio 

 also have their uses. 



Protection for State forest lands by similarly organized methods. 

 Federal cooperation with the various States authorized by the Weeks 

 law, for the protecting against fire of headwaters of navigable 

 streams. 



The grazing of livestock has much the same effect in removing 

 the protective covering and packing the ground hard. Cattle and 

 horses browse off the tender young seedlings and tramp down the 

 upper soil layers. (Fig. 13.) Sheep and goats are very destructive 

 to young seedlings, particularly when closely herded. Hogs feed 

 upon most kinds of acorns and nuts, although by rooting up the leaf 

 litter they sometimes favorably expose the mineral soil for the quick 

 germination of tree seeds. Hogs are very destructive to the seed 

 or mast of the longleaf pine, and the young seedlings are killed in 

 large numbers by animals stripping off the thick, sweet, spongy 

 bark from the roots. 



Damage by insects: Leaf and inner bark-eating, twig-cutting, 

 bark and wood-boring insects. Methods of checking spread of insect 

 infestation by right methods of cutting. 



Fungi in forest trees as a source of the dying and injury of many 

 trees. Some trees more immune than others. Importance of keeping 

 woods in a healthy growing condition and rightly cut in order to 

 combat the spread of fungous diseases. 



Practical exercises. — What damages to woodlands occur in the 

 district? What forest protection is in use in this locality? Do }^ou 

 find any disease or insect attacking any special group of trees ? Are 

 farm animals allowed to graze in farm woodlands? If so, what 

 damages do you notice ? 



Topic VIII. IMPROVING WOODLANDS BY CUTTING TREES 



Aim. — To teach how to improve woodland by cutting. 



Sources of information. — Farmers' Bulletins 1071, 1117, 1177, 1256 

 1486, 1517, and 1534; leaflets 29 and 30; Department Bulletins 139 

 and 308; State foresters' publications. 



Illustrative material. — Charts or illustrations showing results of 

 overcrowding and of proper thinning out of forest trees. Pictures 

 showing results of careless felling of trees. If possible, visit a forest 

 where these results can be actually shown by observing rings on 

 stumps or cutting into trees that have been several years previously 

 thinned. In an even-aged group, note different sizes of trees of same 

 age as result of differences in growing space. 



