﻿20 
  WORKING 
  PLAN 
  FOR 
  FOREST 
  LANDS 
  NEAR 
  PINE 
  BLUFF, 
  ARK. 
  

  

  The 
  object 
  in 
  .such 
  a 
  forest 
  should 
  be 
  to 
  obtain 
  a 
  constantly 
  increas- 
  

   ing 
  stand 
  of 
  pine 
  and 
  a 
  decreasing 
  - 
  stand 
  of 
  hardwoods, 
  as 
  the 
  pine 
  is 
  

   the 
  most 
  valuable 
  species 
  which 
  this 
  locality 
  can 
  produce. 
  An 
  increase 
  

   in 
  the 
  stand 
  of 
  pine 
  can 
  be 
  brought 
  about 
  in 
  two 
  ways 
  — 
  by 
  the 
  removal 
  

   of 
  a 
  large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  hardwoods 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  exclusion 
  of 
  forest 
  fires. 
  

   The 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  growth, 
  and 
  consequently 
  of 
  the 
  mature 
  

   forest, 
  will 
  depend 
  largely 
  upon 
  the 
  presence 
  or 
  absence 
  of 
  fires. 
  

   Even 
  more 
  effective 
  would 
  be 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  the 
  hardwoods. 
  Unfor- 
  

   tunately, 
  however, 
  the 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  stand 
  and 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  

   market 
  will 
  not 
  permit 
  of 
  this 
  being 
  done 
  at 
  present 
  except 
  at 
  a 
  finan- 
  

   cial 
  loss, 
  nor 
  is 
  there 
  much 
  reason 
  to 
  suppose 
  that 
  conditions 
  will 
  

   change 
  to 
  an} 
  r 
  great 
  extent 
  in 
  the 
  immediate 
  future. 
  Every 
  chance, 
  

   however, 
  should 
  be 
  taken 
  to 
  cut 
  and 
  remove 
  all 
  hardwoods 
  which 
  show 
  

   a 
  possibility 
  of 
  affording 
  even 
  a 
  very 
  slight 
  profit. 
  It 
  should 
  be 
  borne 
  

   in 
  mind 
  that 
  everv 
  oak 
  or 
  other 
  hardwood 
  cut 
  tends 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  pine 
  trees 
  in 
  the 
  future 
  stand. 
  

  

  As 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  later 
  on, 
  Loblolly 
  grows 
  much 
  more 
  rapidly 
  than 
  

   Shortleaf, 
  reaching 
  a 
  diameter 
  of 
  12 
  inches 
  in 
  forty-four 
  years, 
  whereas 
  

   the 
  Shortleaf 
  requires 
  over 
  sixt} 
  r 
  years. 
  Although 
  the 
  "Heart" 
  Pine, 
  

   or 
  Shortleaf, 
  commands 
  a 
  slightly 
  higher 
  price 
  than 
  the 
  "Bull" 
  Pine, 
  

   or 
  Loblolly, 
  the 
  difference 
  is 
  only 
  just 
  about 
  enough 
  to 
  pay 
  for 
  sorting 
  

   it 
  out. 
  The 
  Loblolly 
  is 
  therefore 
  by 
  far 
  the 
  more 
  valuable 
  tree 
  of 
  the 
  

   two, 
  and 
  should 
  be 
  favored 
  in 
  every 
  possible 
  way. 
  The 
  more 
  there 
  is 
  

   of 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  reproduction 
  the 
  better 
  will 
  it 
  be 
  for 
  the 
  future 
  forest, 
  

   because 
  the 
  crop 
  will 
  become 
  merchantable 
  in 
  a 
  much 
  shorter 
  time, 
  

   and 
  consequently 
  the 
  returns 
  will 
  be 
  higher. 
  

  

  Unfortunately, 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  Loblolly 
  seed 
  trees 
  is 
  comparatively 
  

   small 
  on 
  the 
  pine 
  ridges, 
  and 
  an 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  percentage 
  of 
  Loblolly 
  

   can 
  be 
  obtained 
  only 
  by 
  letting 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  possible 
  of 
  these 
  trees 
  

   stand. 
  In 
  practice 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  possible 
  to 
  spare 
  a 
  tree 
  above 
  merchant- 
  

   able 
  diameter 
  here 
  and 
  there, 
  and 
  this 
  should 
  by 
  all 
  means 
  tie 
  done, 
  

   for 
  every 
  Loblolly 
  left 
  standing 
  will 
  very 
  appreciably 
  help 
  along 
  the 
  

   representation 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  new 
  growth. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  

   Shortleaf 
  Pine 
  below 
  12 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter 
  left 
  after 
  the 
  cutting 
  will 
  

   be 
  nearly 
  sufficient 
  to 
  produce 
  all 
  the 
  seed 
  necessary 
  for 
  a 
  reproduc- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  this 
  species, 
  but 
  in 
  some 
  localities 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  advisable 
  also 
  to 
  

   save 
  a 
  few 
  above 
  this 
  12-inch 
  limit. 
  

  

  To 
  increase 
  the 
  pine 
  stand 
  by 
  protection 
  against 
  fire 
  is 
  entirely 
  

   practicable, 
  and 
  will 
  produce 
  valuable 
  results. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  shown 
  

   that, 
  in 
  the 
  young 
  growth, 
  hardwoods 
  have 
  a 
  decided 
  advantage 
  over 
  

   pine 
  where 
  the 
  ground 
  is 
  swept 
  by 
  repeated 
  fires, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  beyond 
  

   doubt 
  that 
  if 
  fire 
  be 
  kept 
  out 
  the 
  percentage 
  of 
  pine 
  in 
  the 
  young 
  

   growth 
  will 
  be 
  largely 
  increased. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  first 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  years 
  after 
  lumbering, 
  if 
  fire 
  is 
  kept 
  out, 
  

   the 
  reproduction 
  will 
  usually 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  composed 
  almost 
  entirely 
  

  

  