California Pine Manufacturers Plan New Timber Crop Intelligently

Much has been said about the tree planting of the Redwood industry in California, where 30 young trees are planted for every tree that is commercially cut, and where at least ten of these young'trees, it is believed, rvill survive and grow into timber trees.

And the Pine regions of California are also entitled to great credit for their reforestation efforts. These efforts are carried along on different lines than in the Redwood regions, due to the entirely different problem to be solved.

The rapid change from donkey engine to tractor logging is one of the things that is helping reforestation in the Pine areas of California; and this is backed up by determined and intelligent efforts of the manufacturers to grow a new crop. Just how this is being done is tersely and interestingly told by Mr. S. R. Black. This statement was written by Mr. Black and furnished The California Lumber Merchant by The California White & Sugar Pine Association. It is as follows:

Second growth on cutover lands or reforestation in the pine region of California is largely a matter of natural

In general it may be said that where a considerable amount of young growth is left standing after logging, the land will in time be covered by a second crop of timber.

Where tractor logging is in use a large percentage of the young growth existing upon the ground at the time of logging is preserved. In donkey logging the greater the amount of large timber left during logging the greater is the protection of young growth upon the ground. Following is a summary of the methods of logging and general effect upon reforestation of cutover lands of the larger logging operations in the State of California.

In northern California and on the so-called Eastside types tractor logging is now used almost 'exclusively. Donkey logging is confined to the rough mountains Westside Sierra region.

The McCloud River Lumber Company is using tractors, and in general is leaving uncut all fir timber. The LongBell Lumber Company is using tractors and is cutting nothing under eighteen inches in diameter, and has announced its purpose of so logging that its lands will al- ways be productive of timber. The Fruit Growers Sup- ply Company of Susanville is working upon a sustained yield basis for its own lands in connection with a similar operation of National Forest lands. It cuts no pine under sixteen inches in diameter, and logs with tractors. The Lassen Lumber and Box Company is operating largely upon National Forest land, and is using tractors upon its own land. The Red River Lumber Company is using tractors only, in its logging and in addition to srnall pine is leaving a very large percentage of all fir on its lands.

"The new togging power that is d,oing much to het\ the manufocturers i,nsure future forests for California." rcgeneration on both federally owned and private lands. Logging on National Forest lands is conducted with the definite objective of securing a second crop of timber of the species of greatest present value, even to the extent of sacrificing immediate returns in the way of income from the lands logged. Logging on privately owned lands is conducted primarily with the objective of securing profits from the operations of the company owning and cutting the timber.

Neither the federal g'overnment nor private owners are planting trees on cutover pine lands on any commercial scale. Natural reforestation on cutover lands is obtained from re-seeding of the areas from adjoining uncut timber, from seed trees left standing after logging, from seed left on the ground that sprouts after logging, and from the growth of small trees left uninjured during logging. The amount of reproduction secured depends..upon the character of original timber stand, soil, climate and method of logging which is carried on. Other things being equal, and granted that the cutover lands are given protection from fire, the amount of reforestation following logging depends upon the amount of young and old trees left standing after logging and upon the amount of seed scattered upon the area from timber adjoining the area.

The Clover Valley Lumber Company is logging only with tractors, and operates largely upon National Forest lands. The Davies Johnson Lumber Company uses tractors only and operates partly upon National Forest land. The Hobart Estate Company is using tractors, and in the past where it has been using donkeys has a fair stand of second growth timber. The Feather River Lumber Company is using tractors and logs largely upon federal land.

The Quincy Lumber Company is using tractors, as is the Spanish Peak Lumber Company which is definitely operating upon a sustained yield basis, that includes its private as well as National Forest timber lands. The California Fruit Exchange is securing about half of its production with tractors, and where donkeys are used, has preserved a fair percentage. of the natural second growth timber on its lands.

The Diainond Match Company is securing about half of its logs by means of tractors, and half by donkeys. The Company cuts nothing under twenty inches in diameter, and is endeavoring to preserve small trees from damage while logging. The Swayne Lumber Company operates largely upon federal land, uses donkey engines and on its orvn land cuts very little fir, which results in .leaving a large amount of tree growth upon its cut-over 'lands.

The Michigan-California Lumber Company has definitely announced its policy of operating upon a sustained yield basis. The Company uses donkey engines, but leaves nearly all fir standing, and cuts no pine or other timber under about eighteen inches in diameter. The cutover lands are left in splendid shape from the standpoint of the probability of the production of new crops of timber. The California Door Company operates in a similar type of timber, .uses donkey engines of greater power than those of the Michigan-California Lumber Company, but as the company leaves most of its fir and cedar timber standing, the majority of its cutover lands carry a good stand of timber as a nucleus of a ne$' crop.

The Pickering Lumber Company operating two sawmills in the sugar pine district, cuts nothing under about twent)' inches. fells snags as a fire prevention precaution, operates largely with donkeys, has a few tractors and is leaving the bulk of its cutover lands in very good shape from the standpoint of ability to produce new crops of timber. The Madera Lumber Company is logging almost entirely on National Forest land and operates largely with donkey engines. The Sugar Pine Lumber Company uses donkey engines and is securing about ninety per cent of its production from National Forest lands. On its private lands some young timber is saved from injury during logging, with the result that its private lands are nor,v left in much better condition than in the past.

There are a number of small mills in operation in the state that are not mentioned above. Some of them are logging with horses, some with tractors and a few with donkey engines. Many of them are cutting only National Forest timber. In general most of their operations are so small that the total acreag'e cutover is nearly negligible, and in many cases re-seeding of the area cutover each year can take place from adjoining uncut timber.

The total annual production of the companies mentioned above in 1927 was one billion board feet, out of a total cut for the pine region of the state of 1,100,000,000 board feet. Of the total cut of the mills mentioned about twothirds is now logged by means of tractors, a method rvhich as previously stated results in very little damage to young unmerchantable timber, and consequently satisfactory reproduction is obtained on such areas. The remaining one-third of the total production is logged by means of donkeys. One-half of all donkey logging is now on National Forest land where the logging is definitely planned with the object of securing satisfactory reforestation.

Practically all private and federal cutover lands in California are protected from fire and this factor is perhaps the 'most important of all in so far as the success of reforestation in the pine region is concerned. Where young trees are left standing after logging and where the areas are protected and escape fire damage a new crop of timber is assured.

As indicated by the above description of logging methods, company by company, the great bulk of all cutover land is now being left with a fair covering of young timber, which is being protected from fire.