12 MISC. PUBLICATION 2 4, IT. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



survey is fire-prevention work. It is a big task to keep fires out of 

 any southern woods because the natives generally in the South have 

 believed for years that burning the woods each spring not only 

 betters the range, but also helps the boll weevil and tick problem. 

 This mistaken idea is being gradually broken down, and the work is 

 carried out in such a way as not to irritate the farmers. We have 

 attempted to do this by appointing approximately 30 fire wardens, 

 each of whom have 5,000 to 10,000 acres to watch and who are farm- 

 ers living in their respective areas. They ride their territories dur- 

 ing the fire seasons, and in most of their houses telephone connections 

 have been made with the main office so that squads of fire fighters 

 may be sent out from either the logging camp or from Crossett to 

 fight any fire that the wardens themselves can not control. 



Several 90-foot steel fire towers have been erected, in each of which 

 a watchman is located. These towers are similar in all respects to 

 those used by the United States Forest Service in the national for- 

 ests, and have the same range-finding equipment installed in them. 

 A watchman is able to see at least 9 miles from the top of the tower, 

 and is able therefore to locate all signs of fire in a circular area that 

 reaches out this far in all directions from the tower. Notification 

 of any fire is telephoned to Crossett from the top of the tower, and 

 in more than one instance the same fire has been spotted by more 

 than one tower. 



In order to prevent fires getting out in our own logging operations 

 oil is used as fuel on the locomotives and loaders. This has been a 

 great help, and the many fires that originated on the right of way, as 

 well as on the spurs, in the days when coal and pine knots were used 

 as fuel, have virtually been done away with. 



In order to break up the territory in blocks many of the old right 

 of ways are being turned into roads after logging operations have 

 pulled up the steel and left. This is being done also with the thought 

 that these roads will be a benefit to the farmers. 



Actual logging in the woods is considered the next most important 

 part of the forestry work. No area is taken clean, there being at 

 least two healthy seed trees, many of them over 20 inches in diameter 

 breast high, left per acre. As horse logging is used, the young 

 timber is not knocked down as it generally is where skidders are 

 used, and many of these remaining smaller trees are also producing 

 seed. It is hoped that many of these smaller trees will grow to 

 sufficient size to be cut on the second time over, at which time, of 

 course, the large seed trees will be taken also. Data is being accu- 

 mulated on how " wind-secure " the large seed trees are, and to date 

 fewer of them have blown over than was at first anticipated. This 

 is primarily because of the type of trees that has been selected. 

 Trees with large flat tops are never left for seed trees, but only those 

 that have a conical shape. Timber is spotted ahead in the woods by 

 trained men, there being definite schedules used in this work so that 

 the logged-over area will be left in the best possible shape from a 

 silvicultural standpoint. 



The last but not the least important part of the forestry work is 

 educational. There are exhibits made at county and State fairs and 

 also at the various schools in the community. Moving pictures fur- 

 nished by the Forest Service are shown in movie houses. Direct 



