2 BULLETIN 496, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
wood trees usually predominate , while the Arkansas National Forest 
is dominated by pines. The annual leaf fall from the deciduous 
trees accumulating year after year on the ground and the large 
growth of underbrush present constitute a perpetual fire menace. 
Even on areas in these two forests where shortleaf pine (Pinus 
eehinata) 1 is being logged there are usually enough deciduous trees 
and underbrush present to make a ground litter from the fallen 
leaves, to which must be added the usual leaf litter found under pine 
trees. 
The method of brush disposal that will give to the reproduction 
over these areas protection from fire and yet leave as much as pos- 
sible of the forest litter, leaves, twigs, etc., on the ground to rot, 
thereby adding fertility to the soil and protecting it against exces- 
sive erosion by restraining the run-off, is the one that should be 
adopted. The best method of brush disposal when the slash remains 
on logged areas is that which leaves the brush in such a condition 
that it will rot most rapidly, thus removing as soon as possible the 
fire menace from this source. 
METHODS OF BRUSH DISPOSAL. 
The three methods of brush disposal discussed in this bulletin are 
(1) pulling, (2) piling, and (3) scattering. 
By "pulling" is meant that the brush in the tops of the felled 
trees is not lopped, but is left exactly as the tree tops fall except when 
they fall on or near reproduction. When brush is too close to repro- 
duction it is pulled away from the young trees and merchantable 
timber, to decrease the danger from possible fire; hence the term 
" pulled brush." 
The terms " piling " and " scattering " are self-explanatory. 
Piling is the usual method of brush disposal followed in the 
National Forests of Arkansas. However, a few Forest Service areas 
were examined where the brush had been scattered as an experiment. 
In this State pulling the brush has not yet been practiced on Govern- 
ment sales, but on alienated or patented lands all of the brush in 
the tops of the felled trees is generally left as it falls. This is really 
a combination of " pulling " and " scattering," since the tops are left 
unlopped while the branches cut from the merchantable portion of 
the bole are scattered on the ground. The character and rate of 
rotting of the brush left on these private areas will therefore be the 
same as when the brush is pulled or scattered. 
This bulletin deals specifically with the rapidity with which the 
brush rots and with the fungi causing this rotting under each of 
1 The nomenclature for trees used in this paper is that of George B. Sudworth. (Check 
list of the forest trees of the United States, their names and ranges. U. S. Dept. Agr., 
Div. Forestry Bui. 17, 144 p. 1898.) 
