The San Francisco call., 1899-10-20
REPLAN 7 INC THE
BURNED FORESTS
Work to Be Begun at
Once Near Pasadena.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

PASADENA, Oct 19-Werk of replant-
ing the burned forests of this section will
be begun in a few weeks as an expert
ment. Acting Chief Forester j. w. Tou-
mey of Washington was here on Sunday,
and in company with City Engineer Clapp,
eX-Mayor T. 2. Lukens and United States
photographer ]. B. Lippincott, made an
inspection trip by carriage along the foot
of the mountains from Arroyo Seco Can
yon to Santa Anita Canyon. AS a result
of what Mr.. Tourney saw of the burned
districts he has promised that he will use
his influence with the Government for an
appropriation Of several hundred dollars
to plant seeds in the burned areas this
spring.
Ex-Mayor T. P. Lukens and ". G.
Kerkhoff are going to do some planting
on their own account however, whether
the Government acts or not. But II is
probable that Mr.. Lukens will be appoint
ed superintendent of the tree planting
which will be done by the Government:
The watersheds have been denuded, and
it is known that unless the trees can be
made to grow in the mountains north of
this city the city's water supply will so.
Water has been very scarce ali summer,
so scarce indeed that street spfinking
had to be stopped for a time in half the
city, and some of the higher situated resi-
dents could not get water in their bath
tubs.
Mr. Lukens, formerly president of the
Pasadena National Bank, has devoted all
his time of late to studying forestry, just
| mountains he carries with him a sharp
stick, with which he thrusts into the
ground seeds OF pine trees that ne hap
pTs pII n TO See aIeo5 ne seeos VIII hNt
means. Mr.. Lukens thinks that if every
body would do just that much many trees
He has spent the entire summer in Bear
Valley, where he built himself a little
house far up in the mountains, surround
ed with all facilities for studying and de-
Veloping seeds of all sorts. One hundred
| pounds of seeds that Mr.. Lukens has pre-
pared will arrive shortly and will be
| planted in the mountains. Forest Rangers
Lew Newcomb and John HartweL went to
the mountains to-day to carry out this
scheme of Mr.. Lukens and Kerkhoff.
They will establish camp on the ridge
! between Eatons Canyon and the Little
Santa Anita. They will cut fire tracks
along all ridges to the main ridge. These
tracks are paths through the brush about
six feet wide, cleared entirely of brush
and leaves, so that fire cannot cross. They
also furnish avenues of access to fires
Newcomb will plant along these ire
hickory pine, which Mr. Lukens has been
prOpaSating.
The hickory pine is a native of San Ber-
nardino County and grows there very pro-
fuSely. The seeds are found scattered
about the ground. Heat opens them, and
the process is very difficult, because 1T
tie too much heat will kill the seed. The
tree is practically fireproof. When fire
strikes it is burns a little way, if it has a
good start, and then dies. Sometimes the
tree reaches a height of 100 feet, but not
often. 1t grows very rapidly. Mr.. Lukens
has found by experimenting that in FIVE
years the tree grows so rapidly that If the
seed were planted along the mountains
three feet apart they would cover the area
almost impenetrably. The seed must have
care, however. 1t should be planted at the
side of a stone or stick so that the sun S
NlDFaf dc
planted last July, three months ago, by
Mr.. Lukens have attained height of
three inches already.
When Newcomb and Hartwell have
planted the ridge between Eaton Canyon
and Little Santa Anita they will plant
between Big Santa Anita and Little Santa
Anita.
The forestry people agree with Mr.. Lu-
kens that the first area to be planted is
that which has been burned, partly as a
protection to the native forests now
standing. for the fire will stop when it
strikes pnus tuberculata. Then, too, the
canyons ought to be planted, because it is
in the canyon that the fire usually starts.
If these places We're planted the forests
would be very valuable, not alone as pre-
servers of moisture, etc: but the wood is
very hard and available for use in making
ax-handles and the like.
This section is stirred up over the pres
ervation of the forests, so many fires haye
Tourney is impressed by a look at the yell
loW-brown mountain sides where once tall
trees grew. There is great trouble in get
ting the Government to make appropria-
tions. An appropriation has been secured.
however, for the good work of building
trails through the mountains and getting
out the dead timber. All rangers have
been instructed by Mr.. Tourney to make
careful inspection through the forests and
estimating the amount of dead logs that
exist This estimate will be submitted to
the Government and the logs will be sold
to whomever desires to haul them away.
The idea is that. when fires occur they get
into the logs and burn for days and weeks
spreading the sparks to new territory af
ter the fire was supposed to have been all
put out by the fighters. Sometimes logs
roll long distances out of burned districts
into unburned districts and start new dis
astrous fires. Especially is this true when
the logs roll into short brush which read
lily ignites.