French and German Forest Systems on Trial in Arcata Park

The city park of Arcata, Humboldt County, is to be the scene of a contest between the widely divergent ideas of French and German foresters in the ,method of thinning stands of second growth tjmber. The park is part of an area which was cut over nearly fifty years ago, when the great lumber industry of Humboldt County was in its infancy, and it is norv occupied by a fine young stand of redwood, Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, white fir and hemlock. Many o.f the young trees are already upwards of 10O feet high and some are over two feet in diameter which indicates the remarkable rapidity of timber growth in the redwood region if young stands are protected from damage bv fire.

- Although this stand of second growth has developed so rvell under natural conditions it is the opinion of foiesters that carefully controlled thinnings will result in greatly improving the proportion of the more valuable species -(redwood and spruce) and will also increase the growth in'volume and value per acre. One system of thinning has ,been

SUGAR AND WHTTE PINE developed by German foresters; another by the French, and while both are designed to accomplish the same result, they are entirely different as to method. Neither system has thus far been tried out in the redwood region and the present experiments by the Forestry D,ivision of the University of California are being undertaken with the idea that the resultant information will be of very great value in the program of permanent forest production which has recently been adopted by a majority of redwood lumber operators.

Professor Woodbridge Metcalf who has just returned from Arcata where he surveyed the two permanent sample plots, measured the trees standing on them and ,marked those which are to be cut this year, reports great interest in the experiments. Professor Metcalf explained the nature of the experirnents in the park and Major D. T. Mason, consulting forester {or the redwood lumber companies briefly discussed the significance of permanent forest management to communities in the redwood region. Both emphasized the need for fire protection as the first requireri\ent for any kind of real forestry work.

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