Georgia forestry, Vol. 10, no. 10 (Oct. 1957)

Georgia

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FALL FORESTRY

F ESTIVAL

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INSIDE

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l Miscellaneous Meetings
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Cruising the News
Georgia Pine Program
Shoots Quality Upward
From the ATLANTA CONSTITUfiON
Not only is Georgia growing more pine trees, but it is growing better pines.
It is because of a pine tree. genetics program being pushed by the Georgia Forestry Commission.
In cooperation with the U.S. Forestry Service, the commission is cultivating pine orchards.
Orchard pines are produced by grafting a cutting from a carefully selected superior seedling onto an ordinary seedling. A successful graft produces a tree with the characteristics of the superior seedling. The better tree in turn produces superior seed-bearing cones.
It's hard telling where this program will lead. To pedigreed pines, perhaps, with papers to prove it.
Seriously, of course, it means better land utilization ~nd more profit for tree farms because the stock is superIOr.
It's no longer a crime to cut down the old pine tree, not if you plant a better one in its place.
Good Student Training
From the SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS
Announcement that the Forestry Commission of Georgia has utilized young students to participate in their pine orchard development is a commendable one. In modern times it has become the practice of industry to provide an opportunity for students to work in plants or rural programs with a dual purpose - to assist the industry itself at a moderate cost and to enable the students to learn the subject of their choice at firsthand and in a practical as well as textbook manner.
!:ligh school and college forestry students are assisting in . grafting cuttings to potted seedlings and helping to make the future fores~s which will yield an abundant and profitable harvest for the South.
One of the most constructive benefits to the students, in addition to the apprenticeship served which is of inestimable value, is the fact that these_boys and girls (in some trades) have a busy program during those months when idleness leads to mischief or to a lethargy which discourages study and physical and mental improvement. We can think of no finer occupation for our youth than to learn about the natural resources around them and to pursue a calling which will not only bring financial returns but a deeper satisfaction of having cultivated the resources of nature and used them constructively.
Forest Fire Season
From the SAVANNAH NEWS
During fall along with dog days, hurricanes , ragweed rattlesnakes and other menaces, there is an added danger of forest fires. The woods tend to be drier, and await only the touch of a match or a smouldering .cigarette butt to burst into disastrous flame.
Despite one of the best protective systems in the nation, Georgia still suffers a huge annual loss from woods

I GEORGIA FORESTRY

Vol. 12

October, 1957

Published Monthly by the
GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION Box 1183

Macon, Georgia

Guyton DeL oach, Di1ector

No. 10

Members, Board of Commissioners :

C. M. J orda n, Jr., Chairman

.. ........ Alamo

Sam H . Morgan .................. _............................... Savannah '

Oscar S. Garrison ----- --Homer H . 0 . Cummings .................................................Donalsonville John M. McElrath, .......................................... ------- ..Macon

Georgia Forestry is entered as second class matter
at the Post Office under the Act of August 24, 1912. Member of the Georgia Press Association.

* * *

EDITOR ....................................... ....................Frank Craven

STAFF ARTIST .......................................................Dan Voss

ASSOCIATE EDITORS ................Bill Kellam, Joe Kovach,

.. * ... ..

John Currie

DISTRICT OFFICES,

GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION:

DISTRICT 1-Route 2,
Statesboro DISTRICT II-P. 0 . Box 26,
Camilla DISTRIOT III-P. 0. Box 169,
Americus DISTRICT IV-P. 0. Box 333,
Newnan DISTRICT V-P. O.. Box 328,
McRae

DISTRICT VI-P. 0. Box 505, Milledgeville
DISTRICT VII-Route 1,
Rome DISTRICT VIII-P. 0. Box
1160, Waycross DISTRICT IX-P. 0 . Box 416,
Gainesville DISTRICT X-Route 3,
Washington

fires. Most are relatively small, it is true, but in the aggregate our fire bill represents one of the state's majot> contributions to the carelessness of our people.
For it is carelessness and carelessness" alone that accounts for almost all our forest fires. An untended fire , careless brush burning, an unextingushied match o cigarette-any one of these things can be the cause of a runaway blaze, disastrous not only to our woodland re-"'~ sources but to wildlife and buildings as well.
On the Cover
0
Shades of P.T. Barnum! While it won ' t replace the van~ ishing big top, our cover this month may help some of our
readers remember when the local fair created as muc:ti excitement as news that a circus train was coming through town. Back then, every act was billed as ''colossal," "stupendous," or a mild "electrifying. " Naturally, Georgians feel their forestry program is all this and more , too?, but the drtist restrained himself and used the vernacula of our time, Headlining this month's issue is the inside story on the Georgia Forestry Commission's fair program. Second billing goes to an intimate expose of life in th~ Third Forestry District , followed by a zany insight into the story of administration and its millions. A host oi other entertaining spectacles await within. Now, on with the show.



2

New Land Company

Lets ~Little Man'

Invest In Future

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President Nee ly shows prospectus to s tockholde rs ac Mane he seer.

A new land company is allowing Georgia's so-called "little man" a chance to invest in a big business venture that not only may bring him handsome dividends, but makes him a stockholder in the state ' s industrial growth. It is known as the Southern Land, Timber and Pulp Corporation.
Headed by John J. Neely, a Manchester businessman, the company is buying, leasing and taking options on qeorgia lands. Its ultimate purpose, Neely said, is to establish a wood processing business such as a pulp mill. He added that lands already rorchased will be developed into full timber production with an eye on accruing capital gains rather that potential dividends. Company stock is available only to Georgia residents.
"A lot of industries are moving into the state and taking advantage of the wonderful opportunities we have here," Neely said. "They're playing a leading role in the development of our resources and our economy. It seems high time we Georgians started doing our part to develop our resources and share in the profits to be gained. The Southern Land, Timber and Pulp Corp. was

formed in Georgia by Georgians and its stock is available only to bona fide Georgia residents."
The company was formed with an authorized capita l of five million dollars composed of 2,500,000 shares of common stock , Neely said. Par value of the first issue of 50,000 shares was two dollars each. Neely said the 95% issue was sold within t wo wee ks after it was offered to the public. He added that with the exception of the board of directors, stockholders are limited to 1,000 shares each to allow as many Georgians as possible to participate. He said the company boasts a cross section of stockholders ranging from small farmers and textile mill workers to industrialists and bankers.
Neely said a second 200,000 shares are now being offered for sale at $2 .90 each. He said it will take about two years to acquire enough land to support a wood processing business. Whether the company will negotiate with an established firm or go into business for itself will depend on which will be most beneficial to the stockholders, he said.

3
FORESTRY STORY TOLD
N WATERSHED TOUR

Forestry was spiced with an international flavor recently at the Fourth National Watershed Congress at the Noon Day Creek Watershed Area near Marietta. Nigh onto a thous a nd foresters and conservationists from all parts of the nation, Ireland and Hawaii attended the three -day meeting sponsored by the. Soil Conservation Service in cooperation widi the Georgia Forestry Commission and the U.S. Forest Service.
The forestry portion of the program dealt with ' 'forestry in the Small Watershed." Cooperating with Norman S. Corey , a landowl'ler, the woodland story was told by Cecil E. Clapp of the U.S. Forest Service at Atlanta, master of ceremonies; Donald E. Whelan of Southeastern Forest Experiment Station at Asheville, forest hydrology; Frank Craven of the Georgia Forestry Commission at M_acon, forest protection and management; and Edward F. Littlehales of the U.S. Forest Service at Atlanta, Smokey Bear.
It was pointed out that protection and sound manage-
ment will allow most forestland to produce a good income
for a landowner while it performs its watershed functions for the benefit of the community in general.
Following the meeting, the group toured the Southeastern Fair in Atlanta. Theme of this year's agricultural fair exhibits is "Georgia Today for Tomorrow." Highlighting the tour was a look at the huge scale relief model of Georgia showing water flow and drainage. Phil Campbell, Georgia's Commissioner of Agriculture, addressed the congress during the tour.
1 COME WITH ME ....to Coweta Watershed, says D.E . Whelan, USFS Hydrologist. Frank Craven and Smokey Bear stand by to assist with the tour.

WOODALL EXHIBITS "PRIZE" P ULP STICKS

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PULP REQUIREMENTS GIVEN

AT AG CLUB MEETING

The quality of yoU+ gift box or paper bag depends largely on the way pulpwood is harvested and prepared, Gus Woodall, a ssistant scaler for Georgia Kraft Co., said recently in Macon.
Addressing the Professional Agriculture Workers Club at its regular monthly meeting , Woodall discussed reasons behind pulpwood specifications imposed by pulping companies.
"These requirements specify the type of wood we like to get," he said, "but it doesn't mean it's the kind we wind up with." He pointed out that it is almost impossible to inspect every stick of pulpwood that enters a company yard . Ideal sticks are sawed from sound, rea sonably straight live trees , he added, because they produce the highest quality chips and fibers.
He listed the specifications and reasons for them as including:
1. Sticks must conform to railroad and truck specifications to expedite handling. Railroads require five- foot by five -inch lengths, and six-foot lengths are required for trucks.
2. Sticks under four inches at the small end are unacceptable because they tend to break easily and are difficult to debark.
3. All limbs, branches and knots must be trimmed off smooth to prevent "choke-ups" during various pulping processes. No forked or very crooked wood is accepted for the same reason.
4. Sticks must be free of deadwood, red heart, rot, and discoloration because fibers froiP. such wood tends to be brittle and reduces paper quality.
5. Charred or burned wood is unacceptable unless burn is either removed or does not go below the bark. Charcoal cannot be removed in pulping processes, but bark is removed before pulping.
6. All wire, nails or metal must be removed before delivery. Metals can ruin chipping knives, expose workers to danger and cause tears that ruin finished products.
7. Ends of wood must be sawed square to reduce slivers and inferior-shaped chips that cause flaws in paper.

4

No department in the Georgia Forestry Commission has

its fingers in as many pies as does the administration

division. It knows almost as much about the state's 750

forestry employees as do their wives, husbands and parents. It clutches the ~gmmission's purse strings with a

greedy hand while the other continually counts and re-

counts pennies on a noisy adding machine.

To district foresters and county rangers, administration
is a dragon with a hundred eyes , a million 1memos and a

thousand taloned fingers that keep handing back rejected

requisitions. To central office personnel stationed in the

brand new headquarters building it's a nervous housewife

who's afraid someone's going to drop ashes on her new

rug.



Boss-man George Bishop, chief of forest administra-

tion, insists his job is a thankless one. "The men work-

ing in the field never stop to consider that proper admin-

istration makes any organization run smoother. They

never realize how much good management helps them be-

cause most of their contacts with our department are made

through purchasing and payrolls. "It's hard for them to see that a penny mistake on their

part could throw our whole four million dollar budget off

balance. They don't seem to consider that looking for a penny among millions of dollars is like looking for a fly

speck in a pepper shaker."

He added quickly, however, that most Commission em-

ployees are cooperative. "They just don't like to do a job

over that they thought they were through with," he smiled.

Bishop said the bulk of work handled by his department

,

deals with payrolls, requisitions, earning records, proper-

ty and equipment records , personnel records, budget con-

trols and budgeting.

"We're held accountable for overseeing all employees,

the budget and welfare of some nine million dollars worth

of equipment," he said. "What's more, we're doing a pretty good job of it, even if our staff is still the same size it was when the commission's budget was only $400,

000 a year." Chief Bishop's staff includes "Little George" Cecil

Osborne , administrative assistant; "Moneybags" Joe

Bagwell, cashier; "Do It Over" Robert Daniel, accountant;

"It Ain't Right" Orene Duvall, payroll control auditor;

"It Don't Add Up" Jerry Worsham, senior clerk typist;

Frances "Studebaker" Ford, accounts clerk; Louise

"Fanny" Durden, intermediate clerk typist; Jane "First

Inning" Melton, accounts clerk; Ruby "Crossword" Hunt,

principal secretary ; and Louise "Which Way Did He Go"

Tanner. "Commission activities are spreading all over the place

and they're going to get even bigger," Bishop said. "The job of keeping up with all these advancements is largely

the du t y of the administration department . Wi th the co-

operation of every one of the commission's employees,

we'll continue to get the job done."

SAFECRACKERS ADD A NEW TWIST TO PAYDAY NO RED TAPE HERE-IT'S ALL WHITE

AN EXPENSE ACCOUNT-A LONG, SAD STORY

5
GWINNETT COUNTY

~f USC OG EE C OUNT Y
FtWtlg Goes to the
~FAIR

.. ._ KLI -H ART COUNTIE S

E LB E RT C OUNTY MACON COUNTY

The scent of pine trees this fall will mingle with whiffs

of cotton candy, popcorn and mustard-covered hot dogs

along the midways of fairs all over Georgia.

.

In exhibit areas from Dade to Charlton counues, for-

estry displays will stand inspection along with those rep-

resenting other leading industrie.s throughout the .sta.te.

Designed and built by the Georg1a Forestry Comm1ss1on

Information and Education Department, the colorful dis-

plays offer timely forestry messages with an artistic flair.

Every year, weary mothers escort the kiddies from

ferris wheel to merry-go-round and back again while

papa slips off to take in the livestock and crop exhibits

and, if he's lucky, a sideshow. But, the industrial ex-

hibits are rapidly gaining in popularity as an attraction

that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Each year about

two million Georgians view the exhibits and take away

helpful forest hints that add to the betterment of our

forestlands.

ELBERT COUNTY PARADE

Added to the dozen standard exhibits circulating about the state are some original forestry displays assembled by local rangers. They point up local for~stry problems tell how landowners can improve and help protect their timber.
Plans already are under way for next year ' s displays. and when the Commission "billboards" again hit the circuit they will help add to the lively atmosphere that always makes it fun to go to the fair.
MORGAN COUNTY

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DISTRICT FORESTER OLIN WITHERINGTO

~r

THIRD DISTRICT OFFICE IS ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY ---i"

Like most district forestry offices in Georgia , the Third District Office at Americus houses one big happy family.
The head of the household is District Forester Olin Witherington. He is a native of Laurens County, a graduate of the University of Georgia Forestry School and a veteran of World War II with the U.S. Army. "Preacher," as he is affectionately called, came with the Commission in 1940 via the tar heel route. He was previously a naval stores assistant cooperative agent and held a similar position in the Army. Preacher is married to the former Gwyndolyn Guest and they have three children, all boys.
When Preacher isn't wielding the whip, his duties are assumed by Asst. Dist. Forester Carl Dennis. Carl also is a George Peabody School of Forestry alumnus. He is a native of Putnam County and formerly was with the U.S. Forest Service. He joined the s:;.ommission in 1954 as Newton County ranger. Carl is married to the former
Evelyn Delores Cargile. Fairest member of the family by far is Mrs. Clarice
Manry. Clarice really runs the office even though Carl and Preacher won't admit it. Her official title is stenographer-clerk, but she's much more. Her duties take in everything from housekeeping ro- day laborer. Clarice ~s a native of Randolph County, and has been with the Com-
mission since 1947. Biggest occupant of the Witherington household is In-
vestigator Clyde Bowden. Clyde hails from Gouldsboro, Maine, but since has attained his Georgia citizenship papers. Before joining the Cpmmission in 1953, he was with the police department 1fl Augusta and served during World War II with the Army and Navy. He is married to the former Melrose Prevatte, a North Carolina girl, and they have two daughters.

The "baby" in the Third District Office family is Dis trict Ranger ] ames Bowen. Although he's the youngest, ] ames makes up for it with experience. He has been with the Commission since 1953, when he started out as patrolman in Dooly County. A graduate of Lake City Rangers School and ex-part time store clerk, ] ames was born and raised in Americus. He says he's still too young to be married.
Unlike run-of- the-mill families, Preacher has been a ble to increase his brood with newcomers that may be older than the latest addition. Such was the case with Asst. Dist. Forester Management Glenn Creech. Glenn's only been in the Third District since February of this year. Before that he was a forester with St. Regis Paper Co. Glenn is a George Peabody graduate, a Navy veteran of World War II and a native of Metter. He's married to the former Martha Meadows and they have two children , a boy and a girl.
Preacher is proud of his family. There are times when the usual family spats arise, he admits, but they generally work themselves out and help strengthen the family bonds.

8

., Pine Cones
GO FOR A RIDE

Pine cones are flying around the busy new Forestry

Commission cone plant like Sputniks around this beat-up

planet.

Full speed ahead has been the word since the unique

plant opened hurriedly October 1 to handle this year's

record-breaking pine cone crop.

The plant, which can cure 3,000 bushels of cones every

three days and extract and clean about a ton of pine seed

per day, is a mass of conveyor belts. A belt carries the

cones from the unloading platform to the top of the curing

building where they are dumped into ten-foot deep curing

'

bins. The 100-degree heat is provided by a gas jet and is

circulated by a large fan.

The cones then move to the top of the three story ex-

tracting plant, where gravity takes over and pulls them

down through the cleaning process.

Back on earth, the de-seeded cones are either ground

into mulch and used for nursery soil conditioners or they

are loaded - by conveyor, of course - into trucks for

dumping. The seed is placed in containers for storage or

shipment to the nurseries.

Five wooden curing sheds also are in use. They cure

6 000 bushels each two weeks. Many thousands more

bu'shels are drying in warehouses about the state. These

cones will be brought to Macon for seed extraction.

Reforestation Chief Sanford Darby, who with Assis-

tants Fred Atchison and James Wynens, has sweated out

the birth of the $163,187 baby, said curing and processing

of the 100,000' bushels of slash, loblolly and longleaf

cones should be completed by January 1.

"We hope to get 50,000 to 60,000 pounds of seed. It should take about 25,000 to 30,000 pounds to plant our six nurseries next year, so we should be able to partially replenish our seed stocks this year, too."

Out come the deseeded into mulch or dumped.

... and drop into the drying bins, which hold 25 bushels each.

RANGER ROUNDUP

It's no pleasure to be hit by a falling tree or run over by a truck,_. but if you <;an pick your spot for something



like that to happen, your best bet would be somewhere in

the Tenth Forestry District. Fireball Bill Shultz report-

ed recently that all ground personnel in the district soon

will complete the advanced Red Cross First Aid course.

Strictly on a "voluntary" basis-Bill says-the ~lint and

bandage boys have been meeting at the Clarke County

Forestry Unit for their wrapping sessions.

PINES AND PIMIENTOES- Meriwether) and Troup Coun-
ty Forestry Units joined forces to pratse the,:pimiento.:With pine boughs at the recent Pimento Festival at Woodbury. Tractor-transports from both units led the parade down ~e main street. They were decorated with pine bou., hs, Smokey Bear and local Cub Scouts.

Oh, that towerin' feelin'. The GFC's new 400-foot radio antenna will soon be beaming me,ssages direct to every part of the state. It replaces the old 100-foot antenna which was mounted on the fire tower at right.

Testing, one, two, three ... Gene Bacon. of. Pooler, t~e new Chatham County Ranger, tries the r~dto 1~ on~ of hts pickups under the sage guidance of F ust Dtstnct Forester Bill Harper of Statesboro.
The Southeastern Section of the Society of American Foresters will hold its annual meeting Jan. 30-31 in Panama City, Fla., at the Dixie Sherman Hotel.

Dodge County landowners soon will be able to plant their pine seedlings in comfort. Through the combined efforts of the county commission and County Agent Carter Martin, two tree planters have 'been purchased and will be made available to Dodge County landowners. '
The planters represent an investment in the future of Dodge County, not only by encouraging tree planting, but
they will aid area youth organizations. Initially, the planters will be leased out until the county is reimbursed for the purchase price. After that, the fees will go to area 4-H'ers and other young peoples' groups.

Screven County landowners recently got an insight into the reason for practicing good forestry habits. At a cooperative demonstration in a woodland tract on John W. Howard's farm, profits derived from good forest management were explained and discussed. Theme of the program was "Timber Today Means More Jobs for Tomorrow." Sponsors were the Georgia Forestry Commission, Soil Conservation Service, Extension Service, ASC Committee, Southern Pulpwood Conservation Assn. and two local pulpwood yards.

Welcome, pardner, says Guyton DeLoach, right, Georgia Forestry Commission Director ,'to Georgia F?restry Assn. President W.M. Oettmeier of Fargo. Looktng on at far left is GFA Executive Secretary Harvey Brown of Macon and at extreme right, GFC Chairman John M. McElrath of Macon.
GFA MEMBERS STUDY
., GEORGIA FOREST FUTURE

Better management by small woodland owners is the key to the future of Georgia forestry, members of the Georgia Forestry Assn . decided at a recent meeting at the Forestry Center.
Over 80 landowners and industrial, state and federal foresters from throughout Georgia, as well as both Carolinas and Alabama, thrashed out this and other urgent questions at a forest resources study meeting sponsored by the GFA, Forestry Commission and U.S. Forest Service.
GFA President W.M; Oettmeier of Fargo said that fire protection and tree planting seemed to be under control, but he foresaw a shortage of large dia,meter saw timber.
Hardwood utilization was stressed as a wide-open field, especially since the large diameter pine supply is decreasing. Better use of available timber was declared vital. The pulpwood supply was said to be ample.
The USFS will conduct a state-wide timber survey in 1959 which will list the growth rate, diameter size, species and value of Georgia forests. Oettmeier presided. Commission Director Guyton DeLoach. and commissioner John McElrath of Macon welcomed the group.
That whirring noise down in Statesboro is the W.C. Harper Construction Co., Foreman AI Smith presiding over the bulldozer. This gigantic construction firm has just completed shaving the top off the site of the new Bulloch County Forestry Unit on Highway 301 not far from the District Office. The two-acre lot had a small hill on it, but that was before Harper & Co. went to work on it. The boys will put some top soil over the present sand and than they'll be ready to start abuildin'. Bulloch Ranger Paul Moore says he hopes to be in his new office by the time W.C.'s roses bloom again.

No it's not Christmas cards. acknowledgements descended

upAonfloto~de

of seedling order Commission mail

room recently. Channelling the deluge out to the public

were, left to right, Jerry Worsham, Joe Bagwell and Cecil

Osborne.

It may seem odd that the Georgia Forestry Commission should be stocking up on snakebite kits, insect repellent and first aid kits, especially since the woodsman's hazards are going into hibernation. According to State Auditor B.E. Thrasher Jr., the commission recently ordered 150 snakebite kits, 100 packages of bandages, and 124 insect repellent kits. This represents a total investment
of $1,390.97. The commission's Administration Chief George Bishop
says it's quite a bargain when you consider that one fatal snakebite would cost $10,000, not considering personnel reduction and family bereavement.
Georgia's new Macon Forest Fire Researc~ Ce~ter ~d vanced another step toward solving the st~te s g1ant flre problem when it expanded its staff by add~ng. Anthony T. Altobellis, a research assistant. Altobell1s 1s a Unn~er~ sity of Georgia Forestry ?chool graduate and a long-ume Macon resident. Accordmg to Robert W. Coope~, center leader, Altobellis will carry out resear~h .on 1mproved suppression techniques, fuel c_haractens.tl~s and behavior and effect of fire on so1l productivity and tree
growth.

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Georgia

October, 1957

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F.ntered as second class matter at the Post Office, Macon, Georgia.

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Fashio:n.ed