WESTERN WHITE PINE AND LARCH-FIR FORESTS 33 
fire trap, so that future protection is almost impossible. It is true 
as a rule that fire breeds fire. The more a region is burned the more 
it will burn again. Green timber is always easier to protect than 
burned land. 
Most of the logging done in the larch-fir region is horse logging; 
and, aside from their liability to damage by fire, cut-over areas are 
usually left in fair condition, with reproduction and trees under 
merchantable size generally present in sufficient quantity to form the 
basis of a second cut or to seed up the area. 
BASIC FACTS BEARING ON TIMBER GROWING 
The larch-fir type usually originates as an even-aged forest growing 
up from reproduction following fires. In many instances, however, 
subsequent fires have opened up the original even-aged stand and 
have in turn been followed by reproduction in the openings and 
under the thinned stand. This process may have been repeated 
several times, resulting in several distinct age classes in the same 
area—sometimes in groups, sometimes with the younger age classes 
forming an understory to the older classes. This two or three aged 
condition is very characteristic and occurs frequently. 
Larch is much less tolerant of shade than Douglas fir, and there 
is a tendency for the percentage of fir to increase at the expense of 
the larch. Since larch is considered the more desirable tree, an 
effort should be made in marking trees to be cut on good sites to 
favor larch reproduction as much as possible. 
Both larch and Douglas fir are reasonably windfirm. In uneven- 
aged stands windfall is not usually an important factor to be con- 
sidered in marking. In even-aged stands of tall timber on moist soil 
there is considerable danger of windthrow of seed trees left from the 
cutting. 
Douglas fir is a prolific seed producer and bears seed nearly every 
year. Larch bears some seed nearly every year, and good crops 
every five or six years. Larch seed is very light, 130,000 to the 
pound, and consequently is widely scattered by the wind. 
Germination of both larch and Douglas fir seed is better on burned 
surfaces than on the natural forest floor. 
Where the trees have good crowns both Douglas fir and larch 
Dea a in increment very considerably after release from a crowded 
stand. 
Larch is frequently affected by a mistletoe, which causes large 
witches’ brooms on the tree and eventually brings about defect and 
finally death of the tree. Trees having mistletoe should never be 
left as seed trees, and all mistletoe-infected trees of merchantable size 
should be cut. 
MEASURES ESSENTIAL FGR GROWING TIMBER 
FIRE CONTROL 
Fire conditions are much less critical in the larch-fir region than 
in the white pine, and requirements for adequate protection are con- 
sequently simpler. The same arbitrary standard for area burned 
