Arizona republican., 1920-11-04
WORK OF THE FORT VALLEY
 FOREST EXPERIMENT STATION

pretentious than the agricultural ex
 pertinent stations. The latter are usually located in densely populated communities and we'll supported fir nancially, thus enabling them to com
 mand the best of scientific talent, buildings and other equipment. Forest experiment stations, in order to be in the forest, are situated in more or less remote localities. They are pioneers in a new activity almost unknown to the general public. Because of made quate financial support they lack many of the material things which are considered necessary to make their work a success. A mighty asset pos sessed by these stations. however. is the spirit of devotion and youthful enthusiasm on the part of their scien
 tific men, which has impelled them to make the personal sacrifices necessary to achieve success under difficulties. entire forest service and which is as sociated with the forestry movement everywhere in this country.
 The Forest Valley experiment sta ton was established at Flagstaff in order 10 meet the pressing need for forest research in the southwest and particularly in the Flagstaff region, where numbering is most extensive and where consequently the most per- picking forest problems exist. From the outset, investigations relating to the natural reproduction of western yellow pine occupied the foreground Tn the program or the experiment sta ton. BecaEse of the importance of inns tfee and the difficulties attending US perpetuation, this is by far the big gest forest problem in the southwest. r. is true that in some sections. due l largely to fortunate circumstances. re- i 1 but the fact remains that unless for esters have the situation so well in | hand that they can feel reasonably | sure of reproduction on any area which 1 is logged. they are not practicing for 1 estry but are merely exploiting the 1 resources which nature has placed in
 their hands. Other investigations
 taken up were artificial reforestation.
 normal rate of growth and decay: in- | fluence of the forest on climatic con-
 ditions, the melting of snow and sur face runoff: and lastly a study at 1 tempting to ascertain the growth re- | quirements of all the more import
 ant trees in the southwest,
 Attempts at artificial reforestation met with consistent failure everywhere | in Arizona and New Mexico prior tc 1910 Investigations by the Fort Val ley experiment station proved that methods by which the seed is planted directly in the field are too uncertain | but that success can be attained by setting out nursery grown transplants
 It was found that the coniferous stock
 produced by commercial nurseries
 could not withstand the extreme eli
 matic conditions of the southwest. and
 that 1t was necessary to use stock
 which was not only acclimated, bu'
 also equipped with the right kind ot
 root system. After three years of ex-
 perimentation. transplants were pro-
 duced in the nursery at Fort ValleN
 which withstood field planting witt
 very little loss. Since then successful
 plantations aggregating several hun. dred acres have been established or
 the Coconino national forest in Arizona
 and the Gila and Santa Fe natiOna l forests in New Mexico These plan l tations are not confined to pine bu also deal with the reforestation Of fl and spruce burns in the high noun . tains. On account of the high cost o planting incident to the dry climat } ] and stony soil coupled with the sloy growth and consequent low EIn8uesa returns. planting is not being eNtcn 2 sjveiv Dracticed in the southwest a } the present time. T. is regarded as aa