Georg1 a ~ . FORESTRY On the Cover Our artist depicts two pione ers who stopped to chat on t he path t o Fort Hawkins, a hilltop militar y installation overlooking a wilderness which was later to become Macon. The old lng fort, which signaled the beginning of the little riv er port that has gro wn into one of Geor~ia' s principal citie s, has been re-created in stone and concrete and the picturesque replica now serves as one of Maeon's most popular tourist attractions. M!~.Q~: heart of Georgiaforestry The many magnificent whitecolumned homes that survive in Macon and surrounding owns attest to Middle Georgia's dependence on the forests for superior building materials during its early history. And even today, the wood frames going up in the area's sprawling residential suburbs suggest that masonry, metals and plastics have failed to convince architects and engineers that the versatility, durability and beauty of lumber can be surpassed as the basic material for house construction. But the anti-bellum mansion and the modern ranch type dwelling are but slight hints of the tremendous contributions forests have made and are making in the welfare and general economy. of this section of Georgia. Macon's first construction was Fort Hawkins, fashioned from logs cut from the surrounding virgin pine forests and perched on a hill overlooking the Ocmulgee River. A few years after the fortification was built in 1806 to provide protection against the IndiaQs, two brothers from North Carolina established a boat building works - Macon's first industry - on the banks of a river. The tall timbers were also their source of raw material. Today, a WPA-constructed replica of the old fort is a popular tourist attraction and the dense forests have been replaced with one of Georgia's largest cities. But Macon still depends on the remaining forests throughout a wide area for the materials to keep the wheels turning in many of its largest industries -- industries which turn out a never-ending stream of paper, fiberboard, corrugated boxes, crates and other material. Among the largest enterprises is th_e Macon plant of the Armstrong Cork Company. Beginning operations in 1948 with 231 employees, production has more than doubled with several plant expansions and today 950 workers earn a total of $5,000,000 annually. Already one of the largest fiberboard producing plants in the world, company officials recently anno-unced plans for still another plant expansion. The sprawling plant, which manufactures acoustical ceiling tile, sheathing, roof insulation and backerboard for aluminum siding, shingles and shakes, maintains approximately 65,000 acres of woodlands within a 75 mile radius of Macon to assure a supply of reserve pulpwood. _ evertl1eless, more than 30,000 true kloads of pulpwood -- totalin .~ nearl y $2,4 00,000 -- are purchased annually from local suppliers. Another wood-using industrial giant is Georgia Kraft Compan y. Th e plant on the outskirts of ~.1 acon requires the services of 600 persons who transform pulpwood into an endless stream of kraft containerboard, a heavy paper principally used in the construction of cardboard boxes. The plant, which was built in the spring of 1948, also pumps a $5,000,000 annual payroll into the Middle Georgia economy. Georgia Kraft at 1acon buys $8,225,000 worth of raw :naterials each year. Officials points out that water, climate, available labor and expanding nearby markets were important factors in building the big mill just south of .1acon, but they said these considerations were secondary to the availability of Southern pine throughout this area of Georgia. Besides these two larg e industries, more than 30 other wood-using companies within Macon and Bibb County turn out packing crates, furniture, cardboard boxes, cabinets, cartons, doors, lumber, floorin g, handles, ski stock, millwork and provide wood preservative services. Together, those industries employ more than 1,400 men and women who enjoy annual salaries totaling some $5,800,000. The smaller companies spend $2,850,000 each year for raw forest materials. Add statistics of those companies Springing from a simple log fort, the state's central city has emerged into a n important industrial area s till utilizing its surrounding forests. -- ranging from the smallest sawmill and handle fa ctory to s ubstantial industries like Southern Crate and Veneer Company and Art Furniture Manufacturing Company -- to the "big two" and the annual total looks like this: Number of employees , 2,950; payroll, $15,800,000; amount spent for forest materials, $13,475,000. The figures do not pertain to th e great army of foresters, pulpwood cutters, loggers and truckers throughout the woodlands of Middle Georgia who grow, harvest and transport th e materials which keep the industries humming. _ ~aeon is also the hom e of the Georgia Forestry Center, an installation on Riggins Mill ;Road which includes the state headquarters, shops and warehouses of the Georgia Forestry Commission; offices of th e Georgia F orest R esearch Council; and the U. S. F orest Service's Southern Forest Fire Laboratory and Eastern Seed Testing Laboratory. More than 120 persons are employed at the Center, with an annual payroll of $661,400. Officials point out that expenditures for supplies, equipment and services from local business houses by the Center a- mounts to some $ 11 4, 500 annually. Another $50,000 is spent annually for goods and services by the Commission's county forest rangers throughout this heartland of Georgia. The impact of forestry and related industries on the entire Macon trade area is also impressive, according to figures derived by a recent Georgia Forestry Commission survey. The study showed that almost 4,500 persons in 22 Middle Georgia counties, excluding Bibb, are directly employed in such industries and their total annual paychecks bring more than $9,000,000 into the economy. The annual expenditure for forest raw materials by industries in the counties -- Jasper, Monroe, Jones, Putnam, Baldwin, Hancock, Washing ton, Wilkinson, Twiggs, Bleckley, Laurens, Johnson, Dodge, Telfair, Wilcox, Crisp, Dooly, Pulaski, Macon, Houston, Peach andCrawford -- comes to approximately $11,500,- 000 . The industries are varied. A mill near Fort Valley, for instance, makes wooden baskets for the area's big annual peach harvest and a larg e plant on the outskirts of Helena processes naval stores products from Maco n s- ., Cami lla DISTRICT II 1- P . 0. Box 1 69, Ameri cus D I STR ICT . l\;~ p. 0 . Box 333, Newnan DI STR ICT \" - P . 0. Box 328, Mc Ra e DI STRI CT VI - P. 0. Box 505, Milledgeville DI STR ICT VII - Route I, Rome DI STRICT \'li 1- P. 0 . Box !! flO, \Vay cr.o~ s DI STRICT I X - P . 0. Box 416, Gainesvi lle DI TRICT X- Route 3, Wa shing-ton Member of the Georgia Press Association. Georgia F or estry is entered a s second class matter at the Post Office under the Act of Augu st 24, 1912. DANGEROUS FIRE TIONS EX IST (From the Camilla Enterprise) CONDI- Fields and forest are bone dry. The freezin$ weather has killed the little green showing and this together with the lack of ratn has made rank vegetation in this county a veritable tinder box. Hunters have a particular responsibility. One careless match can mean the loss of thousands of dollars to landowners. This is the reason most property owners post their land not that they are so opposed to hunters, but the fact that some hunters are careless with their smoking and matches. County and State Forestry units are on constant watch but they cannot prevent all of the losses that will occur. At least they can just try to hold a fire in the area in which it started. Let' s be careful in the woods. JUNI OR TU RN S IN HIS BADGE (From the Dublin Courier-Herald) Recently arrived at Smokey Bear headquarters in Washington a bulky package con raining stickers, pamphlets, Junior RangerPledge card, badge all the material usu ally sent out to hundreds of aspiring young rangers every day. With it was a sad little note. I was playing with matches while I was visiting my cousin's house. I threw the matches on the ground. A fire started to burn the grass and the trees and the wild flowers. They called the Fire Department. They came to put it out before it rea..:hed our cousin's home or any home nearby. My dad and mom cold me to send everything back. They do not think I should have any of it. I do not feel worthy of belonging to the Junior Forest Rangers. P. S.: I do wish I can be a Junior Forest Ranger after that mistake. Is there any thing I can do to earn the badge again? Smokey has written Eric that if he is good and minds the rules of a good ranger for a three._manths_p_eriod. km.a)[ _h..a.Ye his badge and materials back again. NOW IS FOREST FIRE SEASON (From the Monticello News) The forest fire season is again with us and millions of dollars will be lost from the burning of the woodland in Geor$ia during the next few weeks unless the people are careful with farm burning, and wlth matches, cigarettes, and cigars. Hqpters are urged by the Forestry Department to be very careful to see that fires are not started in the woodlands and grass area. Jasper County is noted for its valu able timber and we want to remind the public it is the duty of all of us to use caution ..(o prevent forest fires during the winter months. Activities of the Georgia Forestry Commission have been outstanding during the administration of Governor Vandiver and Director Ray Shirley in making his recent report to the Governor, said that forestry is vital to the economy of the State and out lined the rapid strides made since the Governor assumed !)ffice. He further said "We have made these improvements and advaacements without any increase in State appropriations." Every individual in Georgia can be a scout to prevent forest fires and lee' s make a new record for fire prevention in the next few weeks. Miss Susan Myrick. .. outstanding farn1 editor They know her in the dairy belt of Putnl'\m County, the pine forests of Bleckley and the fruit orchards of Peach. She is well respected for her keen knowledge of agriculture by dirt farmers in Twiggs, poultrymen .in Wilkinson and cattlemen in Crisp. She is Miss Susan Mrrick, ve- ..: ~-,. ~ teran farm editor of The Macon Telegraph and News and author of a column which often depicts nos- talgic scenes of Georgia's rural life of yesteryear. Miss Myrick, a Miss. Myrick native of Baldwin County and a graduate of Georgia State College for Women, is also associate editor of The Telegraph. The versatile newspaper woman - equally at home interviewing a share cropper, hog breeder or bank presi dent for a good farm story is so familiar with the mores and folkways of the region that she was called to Hollywood in 19 39 to serve as tech- nical advisor on Southern accent, manners and customs in the filming of the great Civil War epic, Gone With the Wind. Following graduation from college, Miss Myrick served for several years with the State Department of Education. She joined the staff of The Telegraph in 1929 as a reporter and feature writer. During her long career she has been presented several awards by the Georgia Association of Soil Con servation Districts and in 1956 was named Woman of the Year in Georgia Agriculture by The Progressive Farmer. More recently, she was selected by the Georgia Forestry Commission as a recipient of an award in forestry conservation under a program sponsored by the Georgia Sportsmens' Federation. Author of a reader on soil conservation for primary grades, which is widely used in public schools in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, Miss Myrick is the only woman to have served as president of the Farmers' Club of the Macon Chamber of Commerce. Meet M r . B E A V E R ~cComb, Commission management When it comes to building homes chief, stated that this sttuatlon is overnight, any contractor will admit due to site type. Hardwood sites that you will have to be pretty sharp ace more suitable to the beaver. to beat Mr. Beaver. McComb added that cutting practices A recent Georgia Forestry Com- are responsible for the size of tim- mission survey of beaver residence ber damaged by the beavers. in Georgia shows that the little ani In some instances, trapping and mal with the built-in-trowel has been dynamite have proved successful active throughout the state. Approximately 15,702 acres on 519 tracts have been homesteaded by this little eradicants. Bulldozing and con struction of man-made dams are now being tried in an effort to rid certain creature who works by night. areas of the beavers. Scare crows Figures indicate that the Middle and draglines have been used to no Georgia area is the choice site of avail. the beavers. Some 15,000 acres lhe report, which was requested have been damaged on approximately by numerous landowners, indicates a 300 tracts throughout the lower pied- need for c ontrol methods. At the mont. Another 400 acres of damage same time, however, there are many is confined to the mountain regions others who have indicated that of the state. waters backed up by the beaver made Hardwood sites seem to be pre- dams are useful for duck ponds and ferred to pine although both have watering livestock. shown considerable damage. As to Whether useful or not you will timber size, pulpwood seems to be have to admit the beavers are a preferred over sawtimber. W. H. busy lot. Ne"tMs Media Recognized Appreciation awards, recognizing the efforts of nine Northwest Georgia radio stations in the salvage of ice- dam aged timber in 1960, were pre- sented at the annual Radio and TV Institute in January. Similar awards were presented to ten newspapers in the affected area at the Georgia Press Institute in Febru ary. Georgia Forestry Commission Di rector Ray Shirley mad e the present- ations at the respective meetings presided over by Dean John E. Drewry of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, Athens. Shirley stated that the success of the timber salvage program conduct- ed by the Timber Salvage Advisory Committee was due in a large mea- sure, to the untiring efforts of radio station and newspaper personnel in the affected areas. The Commis sion Director pointed out that the news papers devoted 933 and 3/4 column inches to the salvage advisory pro gram which was concentrated over a two week period in April, 1960. Radio stations in the stricken areas presented over 15 hours in public service programs and spots in addi- tion to regular coverage on sche- duled news programs. Radio stations receiving the ap- preciation awards included WW CC, Bremen; WCGA , Calhoun; WCYK, Canton; WGAA, Cedartown; WLFA, LaFayette; WPLK, Rockmart; and WLAQ, WRGA, an d W RO~ of Rome. Newspapers recognized were the Calhoun Times, Carrollton T.imes Free-Press, Cedartown Standard, Dade County Times, Ellijay Times Courier, Gordon County News, Pic- kins County Progress, Rome 'Jews- Tribune, Tallapoosa Journal-Bea- con, and the Walker County Messen- g e r. .\fembers of the Timber Salvage Advisory Committee were W. H. McComb, Georgia Forestry Commis- s ion, chairman, H. 0. Baxter, Ex- tension Service; R. N. 1obe, Soil Conservation Service; II. B. Mathias., Rome Kraft; and Rex McCord, Hiawassee Land Co. County agents served as moderators at the county and community meet- ings. . The meetings were held in Rome, Cedartown, Buchanan, Trenton, LaFayette, Calhoun, Ellijay and 1asper. G e org ia Fo restr y r-r-1h e dirt farm road leading o ff touristladen U. S. Highway ..1..30 1 some nine miles north o f Statesboro was prett y smooth at Iirst, but as it continued further . into the lowlands along the Ogeechee River it became extremely rough. The road finally gave way to a trail and the trail soon became a mere serie s of mudhole s some about the size of bathtubs, but with bottoms less solid than said lwusehold fixtures. It was time to walk. Aft e r a steep climb up. th e r ailroad bank, the object of the search could be seen way down the track. Although it dwarfed its brothers and they were not puny things by any means it somehow was not too impressive. What's more, a long single track trestle spanning swamp and river still lay between th e giant and the hunter s. The crossing was not exactly hazardous, but th at old fee ling that a fast freight train might be creeping up behind sorta' gave th e brave expeduion party the jitters. There were considerable backward gl anc e s as the group journeyed for;ard along the cros sties. About the time the mtddle of the deep river was gained, the lon g, sad wail of a steam locomotive drifted across the water. Fact was, though, it wasn't a train at all. J u st a hound dog yelping at a s quirrel Georgia Forestrv on the far bank of the stream At last, the tireless hikers were even with it. There it was twenty feet away. But viewing it from the railroad track it stili didn't appear to be the "daddy of them all." One brave soul, however, eased down the railroad bank and into the dense swamp. "Come on down," he yelled soon after he had disappeared into the jungle. "Man, it's a big one. Really big." It is. It's circumference at a point six feet from the ground is 33 feet and two inches. Forest Ranger Paul Moore of Bulloch County, a full grown fellow who is certainly not considered a runt by his wife and friends, .Posed for a picture at it's base and it made him look like a mtdget. The discovery was well worth the rough ride, the mud bogs the imaginary trains and the strange rustling sounds on th; floor of the swamp. And the folks in the area, which is just over the Bulloch County line in Screven and a stone's throw from the village of Dover, will tell you the lofty old cypress, is absolutely the "biggest tree in the State of Georgia." LEGISLATOR S The Appropri ation Committee of the House of Representatives was PRAISE recently asked to seriously con sider an increase in the Georgia Forestry Commission's appropriation for the COMMISSION coming year. The request was based on a recent six-day inspection tour of PROGRAM . . . Commission facilities by the Forestry Sub-Committee of the Natural Resources Committee of the Hous e Appropriation Increase R~quest of Representatives. Representative W. H. " Bill " Kimmons of Pierce County, Chair- man, stated that theincreaseis need- ed to strengthen fire protection in areas where thousands of acres have been planted in trees and to speed up the control ofundesirable an-d cull specie program on productive forest acreage. The Committee also urged that funds be made available to bring under forest fire protection eight counties not under the program and for those counties to take ad- vantage of the service. The coun- ties contribute one-third of the cost of each fire unit. Representative Kimmons pointed out that the Commission, under the direction of Ray Shirley, is saving state and county governments thou- sands of dollars each year by obtain- ing and making usable surplus equip- ment from the federal government. The Commission is eligible for equipm~nt suitable for forest fire protecuon through a coopera~ve agreement with the Forest Serv1ce of the U. S. Department of Agricul- ture. The report showed that equipment i s in excellent condition in all county or area fire protection units. The forest fire records were complete and indicated the degree of super- vision and training of the personnel, Representative Kimmons added. Five of the six forest tree seed- ling nurseries are usi ng state ~ri soners from the Board of Correction for their common labor requirements. Representative Kimmons sai~ this is an excellent program and 1s a s- sisting greatly the Board of Cor- rections financially. Georgia's reforestation program exceeds that of any oth er state, em- phasized Representa ti ve Kimmon s . We were i mpresse d by the vas t amount of forest area in the state and recognize that timber is a major natural resource of the state and in it lies a gre at potential for further industrial expan s ion of Georgi a. In the past four years, more than t1 ~ 500 000 acres have been tr:es that were formerly planted in agri cultural crops. Almo st one million acres have been planted under th e Rep. W. H. Kimmons Soil Bank Program. Some counties have planted 35 - 40,000 acres to tree s under this program in addition to what is normally planted. The report revealed that Georgia has between seven and seven and one-half million acres of fo rest land on which cull trees make up a considerable part of the area. The Com mi s sion is rendering outstanding s er vice to timberl and owners on these lands reported Representative Ki mmons. A hardwood control program is co nverting 5,000 acres per year to pine timber or valuable hardwoods. The Wa ycro s s St ate Forest was visited a nd was :observ e d ~s being a well managed forest area growing all types of forest products. The Forest also serves as a demonstration area for forest landowners an d for training state and county p ersonnel. The Commission' s headqua rters a t Macon wa s visited and th e committee was impressed with til& e fficient staff, as well as the various services rendered. Areas included in the six-day tour were the state headquarters at Macon, Page, Walker, and Hightower Nurseries, McRae District Office, Telfair County Forestry Unit and hardwood control areas in that coun ty. The Morgan-Walton, Gilmer and Bartow Forestry Units were also inspected. The inspecting team included, in addition to Repre sent a tive Ki mmon s, Representatives Hubert H. Wells, Oconee County, vice-chairm an ; W. C. Parker, Appling County, s ecretary; Byrom M. Fi t zg erald, Long County; Roy R. Kelly, Jasper County J. Floyd L arkin s, Brantl ey County; W. T. McCown , Pol k County; and W. G . To dd, Gl as c ock County This program is saving the state and county gov ernments thousands of dollars, and withou t it the State and county go vern ment would have to provide a much l arger budget for the operation of thi s vit al public program. The counties contribute one-third of the cost of each fire unit. A forestry advisory board in each county work s with the Commission , an d thi s Committee strongly fe els that the s tate and counties are receiving more for their money through this progr am than any other program of the state government of whi ch we have any knowledge. Representative Kimmons conclud ed his report stating that he wished it was possible for every_ member of the House of Representatives to see for themselves the work of the Commission and realize the im portance of forestry to Georgi a's economy. Georgia Fore str-. - .J ~ ... ' ' ' -.. -~""~~.~ ~- ~:<{ ~ J.:J..,. --~..,:'..'"' - .. -. U. S. Fo rest Se rv ice eas managed for big and small game; pic nicking, camping, swimming, boating, and autumn foliage; clear sparkling trout streams and unpolluted lakes; a source of plentiful clear water; and a vital raw material and livelihood; constitute multiple use of the forest. Wood has long been thought of as the principal product of the National Forests. It is still im portant, but in balance with other resources. The Georgia National Forests harvest over SO million board feet of sawtimber and pulpwood a )Tear and will strive for increased sustained yield through sound management practices. Vir gin timber is gone and no area on the forests can be truly called virgin. Wildlife is a renewable forest resource just like timber and grass. National Forests are ~ e ,,,,great hunting and fishing grounds for America... , particularly for the people of Georgia. In the FROM LivELIHOOD that will be encountered~ and spell out manage ment decisions thought to best obey the laws and policies governing the Forest Service. To supplement the forest guide and district plans are resource development and facilitating service plans which list specific jobs that should be accomplished during the next 5 - 10 years. An analysis of conditions found in particular logical subdivision of land is called a multiple use. prescription. It is the written direction for putting multiple use into operation on every applicable acre in that subdivision. These sub divisions usually average approximately 1,000 acres. It is by the manipulation of the tim ber resource that multiple use is accomplished on-theground. It is basic to the handling of other resources..water, wildlife, and recreation. A selective harvest of mature timber, will produce revenue and may even increase water yield by TO ReCREATION mountainous secuons of the Forests are found most of the limited number of streams suitable for trout fishing. Many of our large and small game animals and upland bird species make their homes on the Forests. There are certain services, not considered resources, necessary to practice multiple use. Included are roads and trails, fire and pest con trol, and communications. The Georgia National Forests are not all alike, and since they must work together to produce the various benefits for the public, they are placed in a number of groups. These include streamside, roadside, trailside, waterfront, and recreational areas. Others include the general forest area and the scenic and other near-na rural areas. The Chattahoochee and the Oconee National Forests are two of the Nation's 151 National Forests. The Chattahoochee, with it's 681,000 acres, is located in the Appalachian Mountains of North Georgia. The 96 ,000 acre Oconee National Forest makes up the former Piedmont and North Central Georgia Land Utilization Projects. Tliese forests contain some five percent of the land area within their zone of influence. Approximately 2,300,000 people live in the zone and the figure is expected to double by the year 2000. A multiple use management guide has been written for the two forests. It describes the land area and situation, objectiv.es for each resource and service, management direction for each principal area, and possible sources of conflict between uses. It is also the basis for the more detailed ranger district multiple use plans. The plans will list the situation as it applies to that particular working unit, cover problems reducing the number of large trees soaking up rainfall before it reaches the streams. Timber cutting will cause hardwood sprouting, an im portant source of browse needed by deer herds. A closed canopy of large mature trees, with little understory, is very nearly a desert for wildlife. Openings created by timber cutting, or permanent opening_s prescribed in areas where no sale is made, will give 'edge' conditions beneficial for grouse and turkey. Standard marking and TSI instructions specify leaving enough mast, den and roost trees on every acre so that food and shelter for all species of game is assured. Water temperature will remain at the necessary level for fish by removing only those trees in streamside areas specified by the prescription. The man ontheground, using a paint gun to mark a tree, or swinging an axe to create a wildlife opening, has to understand and appreciate multiple use the same as the district ranger. Benefits will come to other resources, and the public, through good management of one resource. Multiple use is Jractical. It has been prac ticed more or less for many years. In the increasing competition for use of the same land, it must be remembered that the same amount of land must serve more and more people. The overall objective is to meet the Forest's share of the demands consistent with the capabilities of the land and the ecological characteristics of the resources available. Multiple use serves more people in the long run; it is the only way to meet their growing needs. Yes, we can have our cake and eat it too. Not only that but we can have a better cake through the application of the multiple use policy. Georgi a Forestry ........- ~ ... '..... - Thousands of dollars and acres are saved the taxpayers and landowners of Georgia through advice After the sticks are weathered they are stored until the actual calibration process is s tarte d. This includes given them ..on whether to burn or not to burn. This in- oven drying, mois ture absorption tes ts, selection of uni valuable information is obtained through the Georgia form sets and retesting n on -uniform s e ts. They are now Forestry Commis s ion's 88 fire weather danger stations. ready for processing, s hipm e n t a nd the ir crucial role in At each of these strategic stations fuel moisture read- fire prevention and con trol. ings are included in fire danger reports. These readings tell the ranger how much moisture is contained in the surface forest litter located in its natural condition. The key to the accuracy of these reports are three fuel moisture sticks placed on racks under a wire screen ap- proximately eight inches above four inches of forest litter. In winter, only one screen is used while in s um- mer six screens are used. This simulates the amount of tree shade. In ~orth a nd Middle Georgia, a combination of pine needles and hardwood leaves is used as litter; and in South Georgia, all pine is used. This represents the litter native to that part of the state. The sticks are replaced every six months to insure accurate readings the year round. They are obtained from the U. S. Forest Service Southern Forest Fire Laboratory, Macon. The Macon lab furnishes 800 active stations, in 25 eastern and southern states, with two sets of sticks per year. A total of 2,000 sets are produced annually to meet the above requirements, replace damaged sticks and for use in res earch an d lab tests. The sticks are made of basswood beca use of its ability of giving repeatable results. The wood is sized and treated to meet desired specificatiors, measuring 18 x 2 3/8 x 1/8 inch e s. The sticks are then weathered from four - six months depending on season, rainfall, and temperature. fhe aluminum weathering racks hold a pproximately 3,000 sticks or 1,000 sets. Extreme care ha s to be taken not to bend or warp sticks nor allo w on e stick ., . '' to partially cover another. The weath e ring operation removes .. pproximately five percent o f th e sticks ini tial dry weight. In the field the fuel moisture sticks provide the ranger with invaluable information on the moisture content of surface litter. Georgia ForPstry SEED LAB RENAMED The six-year old tree seed testing laboratory, located at the Georgia Forestry Center near Macon, has been renamed the "Eastern Tree Seed Laboratory", it was announced by Ray Shirley, Director of the Georgia Forestry Commission. Originally established by the U. S. Forest Service to test seed of southern pines, services have been expanded to meet demands from as far West as Montana. "With billions of tree seeds being sown each year in nursenes and in open fields throughout the nation, foresters and landowners must have better control over rates of germination," said Shirley. The laboratory was formed in 1954 and ran tests on only 175 samples of seed destined for planting in the Southeastern states. Last year, the lab made over 2200 seed tests representing 70 percent of all tree seed sown in the nation. The samples came from pulp companies, seed dealers, and state, private, and federal nurseries in 18 states. Biggest users of these services have been Georgians as Georgia led the nation in planting 300,000,000 tree seedlings last year. J. K. Vessey, Regional Forester of the USFS in Atlanta, commenting on the name change, said that this laboratory was an outstanding example of a cooperative program between state, private, and federal agencies. The Georgia Forestry Commission and the U. S. Forest Service jointly s taff the laboratory. Forest tree seed is tested for any private individual, company, or public agency that has need for its services. Charges for this wruk are running about $12.00 a test", he said. "This specially designed laboratory, which was formally dedicated in 1958, has the space, the facilities, and the trained scientists to greatly improve the handling of forest tree seed for the entire Eastern United States". Persons having need for tree seed testing facilities should write to: Director, Eastern Tree Seed Laboratory, Box 1077, Macon, Georgia. EXPANSION KEYS FIRE REPORT The intensification and extension of fire protection in Georgia highlighted the 1960 Fire Control Report of the Georgia Forestry Commission, headed by Ray Shirley. Assistant Director and Fire Control Chief Jim Turner stated that Webster and Fayette Counties and a portion of Clinch County came un der organized protection during 1960. The above counties accounted for an additional 185,544-forest acres under the Commission's Fire Control program. This brought the total acreage under protection to 21,494,602. The revision of fire plans, the ~x tension of air patrol to all ten Commission Districts and more effective sound and efficient supervision of Commission field programs provided Georgia landowners with the most up-to-date fire control program. April and Decembu haunted the statistical end of the Fire Control report. Severe ~1arch ice-storms fed April fires with downed timber in North Georgia. Approximately 170 fires occured during the period and destroyed some 3,000 acres of forest land. Fires on Lookout and Pigeon Mountains accounted for more than ' half the damage. Unseasonable dry weather in December accounted for another rash of fires throughout the state. Some 1,833 fires occured during the month destroying approximately 11,707 acres throughout the state. The largest single day occurrence in December, and the year, was on the fifth when 200 fires were suppressed. Of the 8,335 fires during the year, debris burning, smokers and incen diaries were the major causes. Debris burning accounted for 2, 761 fires, smokers, 1,542 and incendiaries 1,180 fires. Last year's fires only burned .290 percent of the 21,680,146 acres under protection. The average size fire was 7.55 acres. Georgia citizens, in 1960, continued to be the backbone of the fire protection program. Shirley stated that without the full cooperation of Georgia citizens 1960 could have been tragic. ~otification of intention to burn, proper preventive measures and full cooperation given to county forest rangers enabled Georgia to retain its national leader ship in forestry and forestry its economical impact on the state, Shirley added. 4-H CHAMP "I have-worked in naval s tore s on my father's farm ever since I was old enough to carry a dip bucket," explained 18-year-old Louis Pete Peebles of Pitts, one of the nation's six sectional winners in the annual 4-H Forestry Project competition. Drawing upon that early experience in gum operations , the youth during the past year engaged in tree plant- ing, thinning, selective cupping, acid stimulation and naval stores production in such an effective man- ner that he was chosen to represent Wilcox County in the district elimi- nation contest. Louis, son of prominent naval stores operator, farmer and cat- tleman L. 0. Peebles, was declared dis- trict winner in June and went on to win the state award in August. As recipient of the award for the section, Louis Peebles which includes some 14 states, the young man received an expense paid trip to Chicago to attend the 39th annual National 4-H Club Con- gress and tour the city. During his week-long stay in the windy city, which was financed by the American Forest Products Indus- tries, Louis also visited museums, toured a large farm machinery plant and attended several banquets. Louis, who w:ith his brother owns a 250-acre farm recently set out in young pines, estimates his 4-H forestry project has netted some $1 ,000 so far and the money will pay about half of his college expenses. He is now a freshman at the University of Georgia. "I am interested in business administration at the present," Louis said, - ~'but I might get into forest ry later.'' Louis received instructions and encouragement in his project from Eddie Powell of the Extension Service and Wilcox County Agent W. N. 4udson, as well as from his father. Shelton McWhorter, ranger of the Wilcox County Unit, Georgia Forestry Commission, said Louis' fath er "has th e largest gum operation in our county and he has given his son a lot of valuable traioing ... We are all very proud of Louis' accomplish meats. c;e or~ i a Forestry A new tree lifting machine will be put into use by the Georgia Forestry Commission in the fall of 1961, announced Commission Director Ray Shirley. The new seedling harvester will speed up lifting and shipping and make a more efficient operation, Shirley said. The Georgiamade 'lifter' was designed and constructed by the Forestry Commission and the University of Georgias Agricultural Engineering Depart ment. Sanford Darby, Commission reforestation chief, and Charles E. Rice, associate professor of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Georgia, have worked jointly on the project since 1956. The lifter is designed to remove soil ftom the roots and move the trees in a manner that keeps tops to tops and roots to roots. It also places the trees in containers for transportation to the packing shed. Tests this year show that it takes approximately 25 minutes for the 'lifter' to harvest 520 feet of nur- sery bed. There are eight drills or rows to a bed. The present hand-lifting proce- New Seedling dure requires 26 men to lift 1,000,000 per day. The Georgia 'lifter' can lift this same quantity per day with Lifter Mode a six man crew. The present lifting machine is an outgrowth of two previous machines designed In Georgio by Darby and Rice. Knowledge gained from them resulted in the present machine which harvests the whole bed. The operation of the seedling 'lifter' is based on a series of revolving belts driven by an aircooled engine. After undercutting of beds to a depth of ten inches the seedlings are lifted by belts and soil shaken from roots by a series of agitators. Specially designed dou- ble-notched flat rubber belts mounted on an incline pick up the seedlings in an upright position. A set of agitators, made from commercial chicken picker fingers, shakes the soil from the roots without damage to them. The seed- lings are deposited on a cross conveyor, at the rear of the machine, which deposits the seedlings in tubs. Georgia Fo restry IIL:a:c, E# E#S :a:c :EC, IIL:a:c,..a.. I : : a . TI : : a . T c ; ; . . Meml)ers 'of the Future Farmers of America chapters at Lanier and Willingham High Schools in ~facon are learning all about th e full cycle of a forest, from tree planting to timber harvesting. They're getting practica l experience in all phases of forestry at their well managed 193-acre school forest near Lizella. Herschel Simmons, the boys' instructor, had some of th e 85 boys out on a fi eld trip the other day to help harvest pulpwood, while another crew planted young pines on a 35acre open area. "In the classroom," Simmons said, "we cover all phases of the work ...how to prepare land for planting, correct planting procedures, difference in species, forest management, harvesting, etc." The Vo-Ag teacher said the oldest trees in the school forest were planted 15 years ago and a re now yielding pulpwood. "We've sold about 120 cords of pulpwood 1n recent years,'' he said, ''and we also sold $400 worth when we cleared out some wolf trees to make way for more planting." The schools have their own tractor and necessary hand tools. Some five miles of fire breaks are maintained at the forest and Simmons said, "we have never had a wild fire on the property." After the boys are given classroom instructions on a particular phase of forestry , they ~ake a field trip to the forest to apply the methods they have studied in school. Most of th e boys take a real interest in th e fore st, according to the teacher. ''I know I have some ooys who will never go into farming or forestry when they leave school," he said, "but I feel they will have a greater appreciation of the forests for the rest of their lives by participating in the projects on our school plot." I I I I I Mr. Ray Sbz rley , Di rector I Georgia Forestry Commission I Maco n, Geo rg ia I De ar Mr. Shirley: I This is to efficie nt adv ise mmmer you o f the pro mp t and the Sumter Couuty I I F o re stry Unit handled a s mall fir e in ow I woods re c e utly, and to commend Mrs. Alice Mc Cord on the tow e r, and Mr. r3illl Bowe n, who auswere d the call. I I just wanted you to knou of the s plendid I manner in which this job was haudled aud I comme nd the two me mbers o f y our S e rvice. I V e ry truly your s , I E. H. Kiun e brew I The Kinnebrew Company I I I I Mr. T. M. Strickland Georgia Forestry Commission I 2035 Lumpkin Road I Augusta, Georgia I Dear Mr. Strick/and: I Mrs. Wilkens and I wish to express to I you our sincere appreciation for the I I efficient assistance you rendered in controlling the recent fire on our farm at Hephzibah. I We feel ourselves fortunat e in having an I organization such as yours always avail- I able. I Best wishes. Yours very truly, R. B. Wilkens, Jr. ANNUAL FIRE WEATHER REPORT The mild weather of 1959 continued through 1960 in Georgia wit h the exception of the month of Decem- ber, according to the recent 1960 Georgia Fire Weather Report. Dan l\:reuger, U. S. Weather Bu- reau fire weather forecaster, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Macon, stated that dry weather in December raised fire expect.mcy to about double the seven year -average of 602 fires. Fire occurrence was also greater than expected. Decem- ber 1960 was the first month since November 1958 that fire expectancy and occurrence was much above the average. The annual fire weather report showed that March fi re occ urren ce was much greater than expected in contrast to other months. This may be partially acco unted for by th e above normal amoun t s o f fu el avail able. In \larch, s e vere ic e storm s caused a considerable amount of timber to be downed thus creating fire hazards. Georgia Forestry Commission Director Ray Shirley said that ther e is still a considerable amoun t of downed timber in North Georgia and drought exposed fuel in Central an d South Georgia. As long as these conditions exist everyone 1n the state must exercise extreme caution in burning, Shirley added. Mr. A. R. Shirley Director, Georgia Forestry Commission Box 1077 Macon, Georgia Dear Mr. Shirley: Y esterday fir e brok e out and swept out 1 i nto a s pot of my y oung pines. Wbile so me three or fo ur acres of tre es about shoulder high were destroyed, I wish to take this opportunity of t hanking y ou for I the alertness of the crew unde r Mr. I Robert H. Lane and towerman Willi amS. I Weaver. I I Had it not been for these dble and com- petent men being on the job my loss would have been heartbreaking. I With my thanks and best wishes. Yours very sincerely, I -.... ~ I S tude r1ts of the T . D. Tinsl ey School I in Macon observed Ge orgia' s annual S. B ert Kinard Life lnsuranre Company of G orgia I I A rbor Day recently by planting pine and hard wood set! d lings o n the school g ro zmd s. C urt is f3 arne s , reg ional for e ste r I I of the Georg i a Fo res try C ommis s ion, i s shoun instr uc ting fo urth and fifth g rader s o n the correct plarzting proce dures. Geor~ia For es try New faculty members of the School of Forest ry, Unive rsity of Georgia, are shown uith Dean A. M. Herrick. Left to right are Dr. Claude Brown, Dr. E rnest Provost, Dean Herrick, and William Moss. Dr. Brown is joi ntly staffed wit h the University's botany department and will do research in forest tree physio logy and genetics. Dr. Provost will teach game management and participate in research at the Savannah River Energy Commission Project. Moss uill teach mensuration and initiate research on testing and guidance for forestry e ducation. Logging the foresters ... The four millionth tree to be planted at Fort Gordon ne ar Augusta is shown being set out during a recent ceremony at t he military reserv ation. L e ft t o right are Harold Barnett, post fores t e r; George Collier, Tenth Dis trict for ester; Fran k Craven, chief of Georgia Fo res try Commission's Information and Education Divi sion; John Blanchard, superintendent of Columbia County Schools; Col. Hu gh T. Cary, deputy commande r of Fo rt Go rdon; Col. Robert R. Creighton, deputy A rmy Signal Corps Training Cente r commander; and 13rig. Gen. Howard M. Hobson, comman ding general of the fort. U. S. A rm y Photo fhis is the new headquarters building of the Laurens County Fores try Unit. Ranger Grable L. Ricks, shown standing in front of the new structure, said the office building was erected b'Y personnel of the unit. Ricks formerly had his office in a section of the shop and garage build ing located at the rear of the unit's twoacre lot some three miles south of Dublin on U. S. Highway 441. NEW HOM E ... The Georgia Fo restry Center has a new resident. The Macon office of the State Game and Fish Department is now quartered at the Center. Commission Director Ray Shirley said the move was based on a directive from the Department of Civil Defense which required all state agencies with two-way radios to provide a generator at each stat ion for e me rge ncy purposes. Fulton Lovell, director, Game and Fish Department, said his division is joining the Forestry Department in providing a generator in Macon. This will be an economic saving to both departments. Chief Ranger ]. W. Thomasson i s head of the Macon office. In addition to the above, the Forestry Center is the home of the U. S. Forest Service's Southern Forest Fire and the East e rn Tree Seed L a borato ries. IN MEMORIAM ...Samuel D. Beichler, veteran of 31 years with the U. S. Forest Service, died February 10 in Atlanta. Beichler, for the past seven years, has been head of Cooperative Forest Fire Protection in the Southern Region. Beichler was associated with forest fire control work in 11 southern states for more than 15 years and was Forest Ser vice coordinator for the 1Ostate Southeastern Forest Fire Compact at the time of his death. l-J:is first assignments were to National Forest staff positions in Ark. and Miss. "What Are The Responsibilities of the Profession in the So uthe rn Fo restry of the Future" was the theme of the recent annual meet ing of the So utheastern Section of the Society of American Foresters. Approximately 400 fo rest e rs from A l a., Ga., and F la. attended the two-day session held in Jacksonville, Fla. James W. Owens, Jr. , Tuscaloosa , Ala., was named SAF section chairman. He rece iv ed the gavel fr om Donald D. Steven son, Foley, Fla. Richard H. Riggs, Birmingham, Ala., was elected secretary treas urer. Not shown above was Ed Ruark, Macon, Ga., chairman elect. COLOR CHANGE... The Georgia Forestry Commission has changed its official vehicle color from forest green to white. Director Ray Shirley said the change was made to make highway operation safer and identification from air patrol planes easier. Only new trucks, surplus vehicles being initially placed into operation and those trucks that needed repainting were effected immediately. Stuart Moore, supervisor, Waycross Stat e Forest, discusses naval stores management practices at the recent navdl stores and fo rest management school held on the Way cross State Forest. Other speakers included W. H. McComb, and Sam Thacker, chief and assistant chief, respectively, Management Division, Georgia Forestry Commis sion; Norman R. Hawley, He nr y G. Backus and Charles Shea, supervisor and urea foresters, respectiv e ly, Nat,al Stores Conservation Program, GeorJ?ia Foree.tr> IIRIINI Till ~[Rt4'> S - GOOD NO OSE TH OLD WEST WAS ... JUST AS n.l[ FOUND SWlNGlNG fVIRLOLMIA~N[ ONFEAn~"} f5T TRE, TODAY'S GE.O~GIAN WHO IS CAQELESS WITH I="IQE F\NDS HIMSELF IN T~ nGHTN\NG ufCRGIA STA.1.l:. LL.:f'AtG '101 J1JCICIAL !J1i.,. F I T C'r.," e