The Minneapolis journal., 1903-01-03
FORESTRY IN CALF
T. B. Walker Outlines Conditions
Which Assure Success of Sim
pie Methods There.
They Give Promise of a Perpetual
Supply of Lumber and Profits
=. - s-S to Owners. a

Conditions seem to point to California
as the source of a perpetual lumber sup
ply. They favor reforestization as pointed
out in the following statement solicited by
7 h e ] GU rn a from Il. B. Walker. who
has extensive timber interests in Califor-
MIA and has studied the problem carefully:
1.-THE pine timber of California is not so
much subject to general destruction by |
forest fires as is that in other timber lands |
farther north The timber is damaged
and destroyed to some extent but in the
following manner: When fire runs
through the timber it kills some Of the
smaller trees, which have thinner bark and
lower limbs. When these trees die and |
fall the brush and stubs fall against larger
trees and form combustlble materials
which. added to the supply Of needles and
cones, will make a sufficiently hot fire to
burn hole in a large tree. The pitch
running out and accumulation Of needles
for the next year or two or more will,
at the naxt forest fire, enlarge the burnt
spot and leave 1t in Il condition to be still
enlarged by the next fire. In the course
of time fire burns out the inside Of the
tree and the tree tumbles down, many
years perhaps passing from the first burn
ing to the time Of the trees falling. When
It falls the brush and cones Of the top Of
the tree may fall beside another large
tree, that it will begin the destruction Of
that tree in the same manner by the next
forest fire. In this way the forests are
gradually destroyed to compensate or
equal the rate of the growth of the timber
generally
: A Fire Brigade.
II put into the woods this year fire
brigade. which went over a considerable
territory and cleared away the brush and
needless cones, etc, from around the
trees, and practically cut away and re-
moved everything that would burn and in
crease the damage already done, or would
add to the burnt cavities. The men filled
the burnt places and hollow cavities with
the loose dirt found near the trees,
that in the future when the fire comes it
will not find no; large quantities Of brush
or leaves but will meet with covering Of
dirt. especially on the bottom part of the
burnt cavities. In this way the forests
will be gone over so that the trees that
are not already sufficiently burned to
tumble over In high wind, will be almost
altogether prevented from being dam
aged.
In addition to this expect to take out
the larger trees that make the most de-
sirable and valuable lumber, and with the
cutting Of large trees to take out all the
logs and pieces of logs that can be made
from the tree even to the short lengths,
that may be broken in falling. Limbs and
brush will be carefully trimmed and
burned placed where they will not de-
stroy other trees when they. do burn.
Then the trees left will be looked after.
These will comprise in general, a number
several times great as the trees that
would be cut. And furthermore, this sup
ply of smaller trees will soon be consid-
erably augmented by the small saplings
which will be protected from destruction
to much greater extent by the fire brigade
work than formerly when left to take
greater chances against fires.
THE growth Of the timber left stand
Ing will make the lumber supply in the
of thirty fjftV a.
great the original supply, because it is
intended to eliminate to. considerable ex-
tent the annual destruction by. fire, and
chen to get the increase from the annual
growth. While this second cutting Of
timber will not furnish much clear lum-
her,. yet will be enough more valuable
to make UP for this difference,
and to cover the cost of carrying the
land in the way of taxes and the interest
on the present value. In other words, it
will be a profitable method provided that
the. rate of taxation is made reasonable
and not excessive,
1t must be remembered that in Cali
fornia these timber lands are not valuable
for agricultural purposes While the soil
1s good enough, it is porous and the wa tel
runs through it so that ordinarily vegeta-
tlon would not grow without irrigation
and with little, If any, profit with it. Sc
that these lands are valuable only for tim
Der and for grazing purposes.
SraZIn9 an advantage.
7 am now permitting and expect tC
permit the stockmen or ranchmen. who
live in the neighborhood of my lands tt
use them for grazing without cost, mo-
even requiring taxes to be paid. In thi.
way it will be for the interests Of the
communities to encourage the land owner
In holding his land and to assess only {
reasonable tax in order to have con
t1nued lumber business for future gene
rations and to hold the land for tn,
benefit of the stockmen and farmers lv
Ing in the townships.
g.. I'm Minnesota and Wisconsin this sys
tenn is not practicable, but it Is to in tn
coast states and especially up in tn
upper tables where the timber grows
as you know sugar pine selects altitude
from 1000 to 5000, seldom below or above
and that is not a very safe altitude 70
ordinary farming on account of frost ais
on account Of the dry summers
Here as soon as the lands are cleare
Of timber they are in demand for use 70
agricultural purposes and hence practica
b. Bile forestry is out Of the question as tn
large taxes levied on the land will eat u
o. all the second growth Of timber. For tht
reason the forests of the coast can b
made perpetual timber supply whic
would be impracticable in the white pin
regions "
'- After considering these forestry meth
ods as business proposition in Cali
fornia l am satisfied that they will. h
profitable and l shall do what I can d,,
ng my time. to put them in operatio,
and hope they will continue through tn
future as method of partially supplvin
lumber for future generations