Georgia forestry, Vol. 15, no. 1 (Mar. 1962)

Georgia
FORESTR

Georgia FORESTRY

March, 1962 Vol. 15 No.1

Frank Craven Editor

Published Quarterly by the
GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION Box 1077
Macon. Geor gia

RAY SHIRLEY - DIRECTOR
Members , Board of Co mmi ssion e r s: C HAIRMAN

C . M. JORDAN, JR .

VIDALIA

A DREW J. AULTMAN SYLVESTER
OSC AR S. GARRISON H O~IER
W. GEORGE BEASLEY LAVONIA
ALEXA DER SESSOMS COG DELL

DI ST RICT OFFICES
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DI STRI CT lli - P . 0. Box I G(), Am<'ri cus
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DI:<T RICT \'1 - P. 0. Rox 881 \I ili<'dJ!(' \' ill<'
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DI STRI CT IX - P . 0. Box 41f,, Caine s v illl'
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On the Cover
The youth of today are tomorrow's leaders...The .seedlings of today are tomorrow's forests ... Properly managed, they will serve humanity ...Neglected, they will be brakes to progress .

Member of the Georg-ia Press Association .
Georgia Forestry is entered as second cla ss matter at the Post Office under the Act of August 24, 1912.

Cruising the News
STATE'S FORESTRY WORK EXCELLENT
The Georgia Forestry Commission is a rarity among the state's bureaus, de partmencs, boards and agencies. Operating on its lowest budget in five years, che commission's work during 1961 nonetheless helped bring about an all-time low in forest fire destruction.
The Commission, which has headquarters in Macon, and Commission Direc tor Ray Shirley has made a record that should be a challenge to others in public serv1ce .
The program to save Georgia's valuable timber from the ravages of forest fires was many years in the making. The public had to be educated to its responsibilities. Personnel had co be trained in the best methods of preventing fires or, once a fire was started, of bringing it to a swift conclusion. Equipment had to be bought. Authorities on the county level had to be sold on the absolute need for a forest fire protection unit .
Of course, saving Georgia woodlands is only one of the many achievements of our forestry people. They have l:l een the leading force in preserving one of our greatest natural resources. They have introduced new and better ways of harvesting timber. Their efforts have had a great impact on both the type of timber grown and the products that come from timber.
Georgia's forestry program is second to none in the nation, and to the Geor gia Forestry Commission and its associates go a lion's share of the credit.
(From the Macon Telegraph)
FORESTLAND ACRES FIRE PROTECTION UP
There are now 22,881,213 acres of forest land under organized fire protection in 153 of the state's counties. Such protection is financed two- thirds by state funds and one-third by the counties, with the state assuming costs of a new tower construct ion.
We feel fortunate to have an organized fire protection crew in this county. This has been true for a number of years now. We find that this orga nization has cut the forest fires almost to the nailbone in this and even surrounding counties.
When a fire does break out in our forest and woodland we find this fire protection crew working hard at the job and very seldom does much damage occur. A fire is soon spotted and when this can be done in the early s tages of a fire many dollars can be saved for property owners.
We are grateful to be one of the participating counties in this necessary pro tection. Trees and woodland burned up means less money in our farmers pockets.
(From the Adel News)
AMERICUS' CLEVER NEW INDUSTRY
When the modern packing plants devised ways to make profitable use of every part of hogs and cattle everyone benefited---the packers, the farmers and the consumers.
The same sort of application of technological skills is taking place in other fields.
A perfect example is to be found in the announcement that a new... $600,000 plane at Americus will make use of scrub hardwood, one of the farmer's most troublesome waste products.
Who would have ever thou ght that blackj ack oak and hickory could be converted into a profitable product? But ingenuity has devised that use. The plant at Americus will convert the scrub wood into flavorful charcoal briquettes. A new industry is created. The farmer is helped in ridding his land of a liability. And the public is served by a new product.
Georgia needs more of this kind of industry, which changes a minus to a plus .
(From the Americus Times-Recorder)
FOREST FIRE UNITS BOON TO THE STAT E
Among the state programs that show what Georgia can accomplish when she wants to make the grade is the forest fire protection system set up jointly be- . tween counties and the state.
The basic pucpose of these units is co protect woodlands. Timber and forest products total out as Georgia's first agricultural industry and bucning forests is as serious as burning textile mills or poultry houses.
In Hall County, we are especially pro ud of our district forestry department setup, under Ollie Buctz, and ouc county fire protection unit, under Verla Smith.
The firefighters have kept fire losses low despite some critical weather periods and the constant problem of having fires break out at widely separated points all at the same time. In numerous incidents, such as the one chis past weekend near Chicopee, the forest fire unit has lent its support in fighting house fires and protecting lives as well as trees.
State financial cooperation with counties made the fire protection program possible. From the local and state points of view, we ar,e getting a fine value for for our tax support of this program and are providing an excellent example to other states of how to achieve a noteworthy goal.
(From the Gainesville Daily Times)

FORESTRY
Thousands of youngsters throughout Georgia recently observed the seventy-first anniversary of Arbor Day with tree planting and conservation ceremonies.
County forest rangers assisted schools w.ith their Arbor Day observances. The 'Georgia Forestry Com mission prepared programs and provided special films for the s c hools. Forestry demonstrations were also held in commemoration of the day.
In his 1962 proclamation, Governor Ernest Vandiver urged every Georgian to take part .in the protection, development and perpetuation of forestry in his own community. The governor pointed out that Georgia's forests provide employment for over 200,000 persons and pumps mor.e than $975,000,000 into the State's economy each year.
Commission Director Ray Shirley

APPRECIATION n

said "We must keep .in mind that the forests of Georgia and products derived from these forests are essential to the livelihood, well-being, and recreation of the citizens of our state. In the future you will be proud of the active part y.ou have taken in growing tom orrow's forest today.''
The Commission director complimented school and civic organization leaders on the job they are doing .in conveying to Georgia yo uth the value of their woodlands. shirley painted out that each Arbor Day
project sponsored by a school or or-
ganization was definite evidence of the cooperation of Georgians in keeping their State Green.
Arbor Day has been a traditional observance in Georgia Schools since 1890 when it was decreed by the General Assembly. In 1941 the Assembly set the third Friday .in February as Arbor.Day.
In December the Forestry Commi ssion took part .in the State's third Tree Appreciation Day. This day was originated by Dorsey Dyer, Extension Service Forester, .in 1953. The pine seedlings, which were planted by the school children on school grounds or at home, were obtained from the Commission.
The Commission also provided literature on Georgia's timber resources and how to protect these re sources from fire and other hazards.

A CONTRIBUTION TO FORESTRY

Hubert Callaway, State News Editor, Savannah Morning News, has long been aware of the value of

Georgia's ti mberlands to all the

state's citizens.

1

Callaway recently completed a series . of articles on each of th e

counties in the Savannah area, The

Coastal Empire Today. He never

failed to stress the .importance of

forests to the counties economy.

Callaway 's

interest in for-

estry comes

natural. He is a

native of Tatt-

nall County

where two of

the Georgia

Forestry Comm -

ission's tree

seedling nur-

serie s are lo-

cated.

The

I
Hubert Calloway

.State News Editor joined the Savan-

nah papers in 1954, and later worked on the copy desk of the Atlanta Con-

stitution. In 1957 Callaway returned to Savannah and his present job.

His conservation writings include a

series on the elimination of the open

range in Southeast Georgia. A refer-

endum was held and Callaway wrote

a series of ten articles on the pros

and cons of the issue. The election

eventually led to the elimination of

the open range in most of the 27

counties involved.

Another series of articles, these

on the search for "elite" trees,

was run throughout the South through

the Associated Press. The articles

aroused the public interest in the

research project. The "elite" pines

are being used .in the development

of superior trees .

Recently South Carolina present-

ed Callaway with a pine seedling

in plastic for his forestry writings.

He said the seedling is a constant

reminder of the .importance that for-

estry has on the economy of Savan-

nah and the State. In Chatham Coun-

ty more than 8,600 people are em-

ployed .in wood or wood-using indus-

tries. Callaway is just one of the many

newsmen who continue to emphasize

need for alerting the

of

'f Georgia to the imp ~W &f
from a recreatio w\lctlife,....a.s_ we

as an economic s an<(pflStR A R1ES

O~EQ~

I lVI A N A U 1::.
THR OU GH F l

ENT

.....

Prescribed burning has definite ly etched itself a place in the growing of merchantable timber in the Coastal Plain pine forests. Reduction of heavy rough, control of undesirable species and disease and seedbed preparation are the basic objectives of prescribed burns.
The Georgia Forestry Commission is prescribe burning approximately 4,500 acres of forest land on the Waycross State Fore st. Forestry Commission Director Ray Shirley said ''the are a is being prescribed burned primarily for rough reduction." Thi s wi ll reduce timber management co st, and aid in the suppression of wildfires, he added.
In additi on the area has been used for three prescribe burning schools involving 500 acre s each. F o ur prescribe burning experimental
plot s, 15 acres each, are being set
up at the forest, Shirley said. The 4,500 acre area has gone ove1 20 years without a fire.
Shirley pointed out that the prescribe burning schools gave the county forest rangers experience in the practical application of the most up-to-date prescribe burning techniques. ''Through th e se school s th e rangers are better qualified to advise landowners in their pre s cribe burning programs," the Commiss ion director said.
The prescribe burning schools

were conducted by B. S. Booth, Eighth District ranger, Fire Control. Zack Seymour, Waycross State Forest project manager, was 10 charge of the preparatory work.
In the experimentai areas, each
15 acre plot will be prescribed burn
ed under the same physical conditions, weather, forest type and ground cover, using three types of fires. They are strip head, back and flanking fires. The head fire is conducted with the wind, the back fire against the wind and the flanking fire with a cross wind.
There will be one night burn which will be compared with the day burns. Back firing will be used in this experiment. "From these fires, data will be obtained on scorch damage, rough reduction, effects, if any, of varying intensities of heat on timber growth, and the time involved," Shirl ey added .
In addi tion to rough reduction, prescribe burns are used for seedbed and plant s ite preparation and brown spot a nd cull spec ie control. In reducing rough, the landowner not only reduces the chances of a large timber destroying fore s t fire but improves timber management conditions.
The initial burns on the Waycross State Forest were conducted in slash and longleaf pine are as. Fire is being used only in those areas where

the slash and longleaf pine trees are pulpwood size and above. These standards are used as fire damage decreases as the bark thickens and the crown reaches higher into the air.
Burns are not being conducted in areas where there is good hardwood cypress and pine reproduction. The same applies to pond, swamp and stream edges, naval stores production areas, and uneven aged stands where there is a high reproduction of commercial species.
Prior to prescribe burning, fire breaks were constructed around the a reas to be burned as w-ell as those that didn't meet the Commission's prescribe burning standards. On naval stores areas prescribe burning is and has been conducted prior to the installation of cups.
Shirley emphasized that the present Commission policy on prescribe burning is to burn during the dormant season only, November-March. Other factors are high fuel moisture, burn during day-light hours with winds six to ten miles per hour within the stand, and with the temperature between 32 and 60 degrees.
Through applied research, techniques of prescribed burning are continually being improved. Advancement will be for naught, however, if one man's prescribed burn turns into another's wildfire, Shirley stated.

Rough, that took 20 years to grow, is destroyed in a matter of minutes eliminating the hazards of a destructive wildfire that could destroy thousands of dollars of timber.

Georgia Forestry Commission county forest rangers receive in-the-field training on prescribe burning at the Waycross State Forest. A safety strip. above, is burned prior to startzng the prescribe burn.
The wildfire fuel buildup in the Waycross State Forest is representative of the "rough'' situation throughout the lower Coastal plains of Georgia. The adjacent area hasn't been burned in over 20 years.

In the field of forestry education grows the seedlings of tomorrow's forests. In Athens the fruits of higher learning have been harvested each year for the past 177 years.
Athens, which was built on soil once blood-stained by Creek and Cherokee Nations, is the cradle of southern culture and learning. It was here that the first State University was chartered in 1785. Robert Toombs, Henry W. Grady, Crawford W. Long, Joseph Henry Lumpkin, and Alexander H. Stephens are among the University of Georgia's most noted grads.
From the University came the city of Athens whose historic reputation is one of c lassie beauty, stately homes and an intellectually bred citizenry. Yet, it only has been in the past decade that the stems of our forests have been utilized intelligently to bring about adequate returns on investments.
Bearing this out is a recently completed U. S. Forest Survey which shows that the commercial forest land in Clarke County has increased 9,500 acres in the past eight years. The total acreage is 43,600 or 54.5 percent of the counties 80,000 a cres . The commercial forest land in Athen's immediate trade area ha s increased so me 87,100 acres. in the same period.
The 1961 report shows 78,200,000 board feet of saw timber, of wh ich 38 million are in ?ine, a nd 456,000 cords of all species growing in Clarke County. The 1953 growing stock totals for Clarke County were sawtimber, 50,200,000 board feet, and 259,000 cords of all spec ies.

In 1960 the sale of pulpwood and stumpage brought $125,457 to Clarke Countians. An additional $418,500 were obtained from the manufactured products. These figures exclude posts, poles, veneer and specialty products.
Adjacent counties realized some $2,451,090 from the primary products of pulpwood and sawtimber. These counties included Elbert, Jackson, Madison, Oconee, and Oglethorpe.

Oglethorpe County leads the five County area in growing pine and

hardwood sawtimber and pulpwood with 380 million board feet and

2,612,000 cords respectively.

The others include Madison, 193; Elbert, 166; Jackson, 114; and

Oconee, 91 million board feet. The annual growth in cords for Elbert,

Madison, Jackson and Oconee Counties is 1 258 000 920 000

758,000, and 664,000 respectively.

''' ''

In Athens and Clarke County there are approximately 424 persons

employed in wood-using or related industries. These employees an-

nually earn about $1,108,744 or an ave rage of $2,615 annually per

employee.

The industries include the manufacturers of poles, posts, veneer,

baseball bats, cartons, rough and dressed lumber, cabinets, and win-

dow and door frames. In addition to the large outlay of income,

these industries in 1961 spent more than $881,500 on raw forest

materials and $182,500 for freight.

The wood-using industries are unique in Athens in that they not

only serve their local community, but their products reach across

Georgia, throughout the southeast and over the nation. Such an organization is the Athens Lumber Co. which dates back 1

to 1897 when it was known as the Lyndon Manufacturing Co. A stock

mill in its infancy, the Athens Lumber Co. now buys and assembles

it's stock at their plant. Their products include windows, doors,

frames and cabinets. During World War II the company was an outlet for am munition crates. They are known throug hout the nation for 1 their line of picture frames and restoration of oil paintings. The company contributes a payroll of approximately $135,000 through
their 40 employees.

RESTI.

From tool handles to baseball bats, known throughout the United States, Canada and to our neighbors South of the border in Central and South America, is the story of the Hanna Manufacturing Co. The production of baseball bats began in 1926 following nine years of pro clueing hand tools. Production has increased ten fold to the present daily ot!tput of some 5,000 bats. The company payroll of approximately $250,000 goes to some 65 employees. Raw materials cost the bat manufacturers close to $400,000 and freight about $30,000. Approximately 10,000 board feet are used in the daily production of bats.
The Alexander Wood Products, Inc. has made itself felt in the economy of Athens with a $250,000 payroll. Their 85 employees manufacture veneer that is used by companies in California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. The company, which came to Athens in 1942, spends about $290,000 annually on raw forest materials.
Approximately 135 tons of paper are used daily in the production of milk cartons at Dairy Pak-Butler, Inc. The plant with some 150 employees, has an average annual payroll of around $200,000. When the Athens plant began operations in 1951,20 million cartons were shipped per month. This year expansion plans call for the shipment of 90-million cartons. The plant spends some $100,000 for freight. The Athens company serves Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
In the Athens trade area there are approximately 18 wood-using industries employing 149 people. These workers have a take home pay of some $304,550. Raw forest materials and freight run another $5million and $350,000 respectively. Sawmills, pulpwood operations, cabinet shops, and planer mills account for the bulk of the industry.
The Clarke-Oconee County Forestry Unit also plays an important role in the economy of Athens. Last year the unit had a payroll of over $13,000 for its five employees. In addition, over $1,000 was spent locally on repairs and supplies. However, not measurable in dollars and cents, are the many contributions made in fire prevention and suppression, management and reforestation services.
Not to be overlooked is the University of Georgia George Foster Peabody School of Forestry. The School, which is operating on a budget of $250,000, has a staff of 17 teachers, 4 secretaries, and a librarian. The budget covers such items as personal services for teaching and research, supplies, equipment, and travel. A new forestry school building for instruction a nd research is in the planning stage. The structure would provide facilities for greatly expanded graduate programs, laboratories in the present building and eliminate overcrowded classroom conditions.

Located at the Forestry School is the Athens Research Center, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station. The Center has a budget of $135,000. Th ey have a staff of 22 which includes professional, subprofessional, student assistants and two secretaries .
Scheduled fo r construction is a new Forest Service research laboratory. A total of $665,000 has been appropriated for the building. The federal government is expected to spend some $500,000 annually in carrying out the planned research program. When the lab is fully staffed there will be 30 professional employees on the payroll.
The " C lass ic City,"with a popuof 31,335 , had retail sales of over $69,330,000 last year. Her manufactured products were valued at $25 ,929,000. It is estimated that wood-using and related indus trie s can account for more than 40 percent of the man ufactured product s tot al.
Clarke County and Ath ens and her trade area is definitely in THE RESTOR ATION of fore s t land in Georgi a .

RATION

Seat belts, along with brush guards, have increased the safety of Commission tractor operators.

Vehicle operators are also required to wear the safety belts in the Commission's program to cut down on vehicle injuries.

Emphasis... Vehicle Safety

A measure was taken recently by the Georgia Forestry Commission to increase personnel safety when operating trucks, tractors and other vehicles.
Seat belts have been installed in all Commission vehicles in an effort to cut down on injuries, provide maximum safety for the vehicle operators and occupants, and make each Commission employee safety conscious. Commission Director Ray Shirley, in making th e announcement, said all employees are required to use the newly .inst a lle d be lt s.
The Commiss ion i s the first State Department to install seat belts in their vehicles.
Shirley emphasized th at a years re s earch..went into the s election of a "belt " best suited to our type of work. He added th at personnel injuries , re s ulting from vehicle accidents, should be cut in half b ased on studies made in other s t at es a nd by companies that re quire the use of seat belts in their vehicles.
Re s earch revealed tha t in s uch accidents where the vehicle hit a stump or was forced to make a s ud

den stop, injuries, that forced the operator to loose time on the job, could have been avoided if seat belts had been in use. Shirley pointed out that even though vehicle accidents haven ' t been high th e past several years, the seat belts, a long with brus h guard on tractors, give much ne eded protection to the operators.
Sh irley e mph as i zed t hat the safety belt is added life insurance on sudden stops, quick turns and under unexpected road conditions. Elimination of such accidents where personnel were thrown through the windshield or tractor mishaps where the operators were thrown against gears is hoped to be accomplished through the safety belts, Shirley added.
The National Safety Council says your chances of survival are five to one berrer if you are not thrown out of the vehicle. These odds are increased if you are not thrown around insid e the vehicle.
T he t ype be lt installed in the Commission vehicles is designed for quick release, heavy abuse and wear, and is element resistant. The safe ty belt s are made of ny lon and

polished stainless steel. Commission Chief Safety Officer
Bob Gore was in charge of the safety belt installation school recently held at the Georgia Forestry Ce nter, Macon. The Commission's safety officers were in charge of inst a llat ion in their respective territ ories.
District office safety officers that attended the school are Dona ld Stewart and Jerry Lanier, Statesboro; Richard Griner and Ed Forsyth, Camilla; Druid Preston and Rowe Wall, Americus; Terrell Brooks and Arthur Thornton, Newnan; George Shingler and C. D. Tillman, McRae; Bennie Brant and Donald Freyer, Milledgeville; Fred Baker and Pendley Holmes, Rome; W. R. Batchelor and James Swindell, Waycross; James McElhannon and Sam Martin, Gainesville; Bill Schultz and Thomas Shelton, Washington; and Zack Seymour, Waycross State Forest.
H. 0. Kitchens, General Service; Jerry Worsham, Administration; Sanford Darby, Reforestation Chief and Jim Wynen, Reforestation; and Kirk Arm strong, Seed Extractory, atten ded from the Forestry Center.

MARSH TRACTOR

OVERCO MES

SWAMP BOG
Georgia Forestry Commission Director Ray Shirley expressed appreciation to Charles Whittle, owner, Tidewater Equipment Co., Inc., Brunswick, for his timely assistance in the recent recovery of a Commission fire patrol plane.
The aircraft crashed while on a routine fire patrol in the vicinity of Moody Field, near Valdosta on February 11.
Shirley said the aircraft was removed from the swamp by a team of Red Ram "Bombardiers" furnished by the Tidewater Equipment Co. These fast a nd manueverable marsh tractors, with floatation and power to work in the most adverse surface conditions, penetrated a mile and onehalf of dense and boggy swamp to bring out the "Super Cub", he added.

The pilot, Paul Hurt, Milledgeville, stated that engine failure, while flying at low altitude under the approaching au corridor of Moody Field, left him no alternative except to make a "dead-stick" landing in the Banks Lake-Grand Bay Swamp. Hurt skillfully manuevered the craft through a mass of tall dead tree snags
bringing it to a s.afe landing without personal injury. The plane was only slightly damaged.
George Campbell, a Commission pilot flying fire patrol in an adjacent county, spotted the crash shortly after picking up the crash victim's
distress call. Campbell radioed Hurt's location to 'Leo Lorenzo, Lowndes County Ranger, who acquired the assistance of the Moody Field rescue squadron. Hurt was immediately removed from the s wamp by the rescue squadron working from

a hovering helicopter. Eight District forestry personnel
assisted in the rescue operations which were under the direction of Eighth District Forester James A. Henson.
The Commission operates s1x fire patrol planes, which provide fire detection for the 17 county Eighth District, in southeast Georgia. Shirley pointed out that during the past three years these aircraft have flown over 7, 200 hours with only one accident. The planes are serviced and maintained by the Commission at Waycross.

A Tribute To Georgians

An all-time low in average fires, more and improved fire fighting equipment, introduction of customgrown field-graded seedlings, and record number of timber owners seeking management assistance highlight the Georgia Forestry Commission 1961 annual report.
Commission Director Ray Shirley, in commenting on the report, emphasized that the 1960-61 program was accomplished on a budget of $4,376,520, which is the lowest in the past five years. The previous low was $4,200,000 in the 1956-57 fiscal year.
Shirley stated that the average of 7.15 acres destroyed per fire is the lowest in the State 's history. Impro ved fire detection, increased training and the application of the traini ng into practical use by c ounty unit personnel are major factors leading to the record, Shirley said.
Aerial detection was increased with s ur plus T-34 aircra ft being placed in the Fourth and Seventh Districts. In addition three light patrol planes were purchased for asslgnmc<I in the Fourth, Fifth and Sevent h l i ~' ricts.
Com missio t1 i'crsonnel took inten s lve trai ing 10 fire fig hting

techniques on fire problems at Waycross and Claxton. More than 190 Commission and industry foresters took part in the training.
However, the report showed that there were 8, 740 fires. These fires destroyed some 62,497 acres. Drought conditions from early December through early February accounted for 2,994 fires. There are 21,872,913 acres or 151 counties under organized protection.
The Commission's new method of grading and packaging, along with the continued production of diseasefree trees was pointed out in the report. Shirley added that Georgia had planted approximately one-third of the trees under rh e U. S. Department of Agriculture's Soil Bank Conservation Program that ended December 31, 1960. Some 113,976,000 seedlings were shipped during the 1960-61 season.
The pla...:ement of some 8,500 successfully grafted trees in Commission seed orchards makes the Commission's seed orchard establishment program approximately 50 percent complete. Georgia leads the nation in its tree genetics program, Shirley stated.
The Commission's management

program was cited in the report as one of service and assistance to individual landowners. There were 4,125 landowners given assistance during the fiscal year.
Higher seedling survival, a cull specie control program, utilization research and the use of a planned forest management program by landowners was given considerable attentlon.
Shirley cited the. Waycross Sta te Forest for its use in meeting multiple use needs. Demonstration areas in proper timber management and a game refuge can be found on the forest.
The planting of critical watershed areas was highlig hted in the program. There were 105 technical ass i s tanc e cases handled on the 16 Georgia watersheds , 833 ,484 acres, in an effort to improve soil and water conditions through good fore s t management.
In the las t analysis, Shirley said, Georgia citizens continue to be th e deciding f ac tor in the s ucces s or
failure of the Com mi ss ion's fore s try program. Shirley points to the Com mission's 1961 annual report as a tribute to all Georgians.

'Georgia Adds to Forestry - .First

The first officially certified pine cones collected in the United States were harvested this past fall in Emanuel, Hancock and 'Long Counties. Thus 'Georgia, a pioneer and leader in the seed certification program adds to its many forestry firsts.
The initial harvest reaped 394 bushels of certified cones. The collection included 369 bushels of slash and 25 of loblolly pine cones. Cost of the harvest was $3.90 and $4.81 per bushel respectively for slash and loblolly cones. The collection was made by the Woodlands Division, Continental Can Co., Inc. on their own lands.
D. E. Cole, research forester, Continental Can, said that finding out how certified seed compares in performance with ordinary seed is the next project in the certification program. Cole added that test plantings will be made in different type soil on various locations. The Georgia Crop Improvement Association, Georgia Forestry Commission, or company forester will check the test result s.
It is hoped that the results will permit Continental C:an to put the proven superior seed on the market after a surplus of certified seed has been accumulated. Cole emphasized that more certified seed production areas wi ll be established. The demand for such high quality seed is high and will far exceed expected production during the next several years.
The first harvest was made by climbing the trees and pushing off the cones. Cole said this procedure increases cone and seed cost. However, the extra cost is compensated for by seed quality and the fact that cone crops can be harvested re-

peatedly from the same area. It has been estimated that a pro-
duction wcrease of only one-half percent will more than pay all the additional costs of certified seed.
The Forestry Commission foresters and crop improvement officials made the first pine seed-producing area inspection in December 1958. The initial seed certification program was established the previous month.
The first certified area was a 2 2acre tract owned by Gair Woodlands Division of Continental Can Co. in Emanuel County. The site, which was left with about 200 pines of superior characteristics, was the first to be approved in North America.
Hugh A. Inglis, manager, GCIA, pointed out that private landowners may have their trees certified. He said that tracts must have high quality timber and initially at least one hundred trees per acre before they will be inspected. Removal of poor quality trees will usually reduce the stand to about 20 seed producing trees per acre.
Inglis added that the tracts must be surrounded by an isolation strip
400 feet wide. All trees that might pollinate the superior trees and pass on their defect s must be removed from the strip.
Inglis pointed out that once an area is approved the trees are fertilized to produce more cones. A spraying program is also adopted to protect the cone crop from insects.
Commission management foresters, approved certification inspectors by the GCIA, can advise landowners on how to prepare their timber areas for certification. There is no charge for this service. There is a small charge for the actual certification inspection.

These slash pine cones came from one seed production area ln Emanuel County.
The (lrst certl(Zed pine c one harvest took plac e ln t he fall of 1961.

Georgia landowners purchased 1,216,934,901 tre e seedlings from th e Georgia Forestry Commission during the 195 2-6 1 period. The Soil Bank prog ram accounted for 558,449,420 of the seedlin g s pur chased. The peak year, 1958, landowners bought 298,077,500 tree seedlings.
SURVEY INDICATES

Georgia's forests have grown with organized forest fire protection. In 1952, 119 counties, 19,155,688 a cres were under protection. The average size fire was 15.4 acres and pe rcent bum .633. Today, 153 counties, 22,081,213 acres are under protection. The average size fire zs now 7.2 acres and percent bum 285.
FORESTRY PROGRESS

Georgia's present and future role in Southern forestry is clearly painted in a recent survey of the State's forest land.
An .increase in commercial forest land and a decrease .in idle acres has been favorably received by forestry leaders throughout the State. Statewide, forest area and pine volume continue to rise and at a faster pace than during the 1936-52 period.
The area of pine and oak-pine types and pine sawtimber volume have shown an increase since 1953. However, a slight decline has been noted .in hardwood sawtimber volume.
Increased market opportunities, brought about by expansion of old and establishment of new forest industries, have played a large role in the timber changes. Georgia Forestry Commission Director Ray Shirley pointed to the Commission's fire protection program, 153 counties or approximately 23,600, 000 acres; improved management ser vices .in growing , harve stin g and marketing of timber; re forestation, with a boo s t from th e Soil Ba nk program; and forest research a s contributing factors to Georgia ' s timber growth.
Shirley sta ted tha t the survey .is a yardstic k by which industry can bui ld. The availability of our fo rest raw material is now pinpointed so the State and each community can evaluate it s forest resource condition in pla nning present and fu ture industrial growth, Shirley added.

The Commission director pointed out that the South will be heavily counted on to supply the nation's forest raw material in the future and that Georgia will be expected to carry much of this responsibility.
Comparative figures show that Georgia's forest land increased eight percent in the past decade. The State's 25,772,200 forest acres, 68.9 percent of total land area, are primarily owned by private landowners, 93 percen t. Of this figure farmers own 58.4, industry 15.3; and miscellaneous, 19.3 percent. The remaining forest acreage .includes federal , 6.6 percent, which .includes national forests and parks, military land and a wildlife refuge. The State owns a little more than 3 percent and county and municipalities less than .1 percent.
With the increase in commercial forest land, hardwood types increas ed 11 percent over 195 3 to 8,959,100 acres. An additional six percent was added to the pine and oak-pine types making 16,812,200 acre s.
The net annual growth rate of softwoo ds is 184 roard feet per acre .in comparison t o the hardwood rate of 126 board feet per acre. In the pulpwood size, the net annual growth rate is . 7 cords per acre for softwoods and .5 cords per acre for hardwood.
The .inventory was d.iv.ided .into five geological units; coastal plain, one and two; southern piedmont, three; northern piedm ont, four; and

mountains and foothills, five. The survey by units follows.
SOUTHEAST Comme rcial for est acreage is in
creasing and cull timber volume de creasing in Southeast Georgia. Th e commercial forest area, eight million acres, is four pe rc ent g reater than in 195 2. Almost half of the increase has been zn pine and oakpine types. Since 1952 there has been a reduction in softwood cull timber from 3,186,301 to 749,315 cords and zn hardwoods from 12 ,152,055 to 6,136,980 cords.
Approximately 1.2 billion board feet of softwood and hardwood are being cut annually for sawtimber and pulpwood. Th e annaul net growth rate is 1.4 billion board feet. SOUTHWEST:
Farmers own 84 percent of the forest land, forest acreage remains stable, and timber volume declines. The report shows that 3.1 million acres are in for est land, an incre ase of 10,300 acres over the 1951 report.
However, hardwoods have replaced pine on 155,750 acres. In 1960 pine made up at least a fourth of the stand on 65 pe rcent of the forest area compared to 70 percent in '51. Softwood volume dropped e ight and hardwood five percent during the past ten years.
Approximately 20 percent of the bardwood volume loss was in connection with land clearing, noncommercial thinning, and site preparation. Curr ent softwood growth is

some 123,288 cords short of rep lac- Georgia Forest Research Council,

COMMERCIAL FOREST ACRFAGE

ing the mortality and volume cut

Georgia Fores try Association and

UNIT

ACREAGE

each year.

industry contributed fund s and/or

1 ... ..................................... 7,927,000

CENTRAL:

personnel which assured an early

2 .. .................. ................... 3,067,800

In c reased pine and hardwood

completion of the project.

3 ........................................7,413,100

volume coincides with the up ward

4 ....................................... 4,091,500

tr end zn Cen tral Georgi a's forest -,.--r-,-~:.:.;;.;.....,---,---L/-\-:":-:::-::7:11--/~ 5 ..................... .................. 3,272,800

acreage. Pine and oak-pine types

are inc reasing at the rat e of 55,000

TOTAL.

25,772,200

acres p er year.. The for est acreage

l."as increased 11 percent sinc e 1952

]'he commercial forest acreage is

7,4 13.000 acres. Th e rep ort shows that pine

volume has increased 28 percent

since 1952. An approximate 12 per-

cent increase was noted in hard-

wood volume since '52.

Much of the increased volume is

in sawtimber size. Central Georgia

has 8.4 million board feet of pine or

33 percent more than in 1952.

NO RTH CENTRAL:

Commercial forest land has in-

creased 56 9, 600 acres and idle

acres decreased 196,800 acres. The

establishment of natural and planted
pine seedlings on abandoned c ro po

land has large ly offset the pine to

hardwood trend in the area.

Th e pine and oak-pine types in-

creased 478,600 acres or 21 percent

since 1953. Hardwood types showed

an eight percent increase in timber

volume. Pine volume increased 24

percent. Pine sawtimber accounted

for 32 pe rcent of this increase.

Hardwood sawtimber showed a rise of 23 percent.

NORTH:

Since 1953 softwood volume in-

creased from 10.0 to 12.6 million cords.

The increase in pine sawtimber

volume, 2 18 million board feet, was

enough to offset the severe over-

cutting prior to 1953. The present

volume of pine sawtimber zs 2,023,000 million board feet.

TOP TEN COUNTIES WITH HIGHEST

The recent survey shows 3 ,272,800 acres in commercial for-

PERCENTAGE INCREASES AND

est land and 64,600 idle acres. The 1953 comparison figures are

DECREASES IN COMMERCIAL

3,075,.f00 and 266,400 acres respectively.

FOREST ACREAGE

The survey was started in Sep-

tember, 1959. Mackay B. Bryan,

Southeastern For est Experiment

Station, U. S. Forest Service, Asheville, N. C., was in charge of t:le inventory.
The s urvey, cond ucted by the Forest Servi ce, was a two year project. The Forestry Commission,

TOP COUN1Y EACH UNIT IN FOREST PERCENTAGE AND

1\ CR EAGE

Southwest

Lani er

82.7 Percent Decatur 233,700 Acres

Southeas t

C linch

97 .5 Percent Ware

503,500 Acres

Central

Wilkinson 89 .5 Percent Burke

309,1,00 Acres

North Cen tr al Haralson 8~ . 8 Percent Meriwether :243,200 Acres

North

Gilmer

94 .1 Perce nt Gilmer

264,400 Acres

LETT E R ~&

-
Spears, Gore, Mrs. Charlotte Dobson, Mr & Mrs. Elmo Dobson, Mrs. Faye Lynn Sams

POSTHUMOUS AWARD

Form er Cherokee County Forest

Ranger Ge ne Dobson, killed in the

line of duty, was awarded the Geor-

gia Peace Officer's Medal of Merit

Aw ard at a recent meeting held in

Canton.

Th e Medal of Merit for Valor is

a posthumous citation issued by the

National Police Officers Associa-

tiOn of America, a non-profit law

enforcement organization, to the

families of brother officers killed in

the line of duty. It is the only and

highest award that can be made on

behalf of the American people in

honor of the valor and service of the

officer named in the award.

Approximately 50 fellow officers,

employees and friends gathered at

the Pine Crest Inn to pay final tri-

bute to the popular Ranger. Gene, as

he was known by his many friends,

was killed w an accident at the

Cherokee Forestry Unit two years

ago.

Eetireli ( '1nton Police Chief,

R. P

.us, instigated the aw ard.

Chief ~pl: .. ~r ccdf a memb er of

the Georgia P e c Cfficer's Asso-

ciation, thought tl t Hanger Dobson

sho uld be given this recognition due t o his un ttn ng e ffort s to protect Cherokee County ' s fores t from the ravages of wildfires . " Hi s devotion to duty," stated Chie f Spears , "set an example for all of us to fo llow . "
Georgia Forestry Commission Special Investigator , Bob Gor e, of Macon, presented the a wa rd to Charlotte Dobson, Ranger Dobson's widow. Other members of the family prese nt we r e the parent s, Mr. and Mrs. Elmo Dobson and a s is ter Mrs. Faye Lynn Sams.
Chief Gore in ma king the presentation remarked that, " Gene Dobson will always be remembered for his leadership ability in performing a difficult job we ll. T he Georgia Forestry Commission is much the poorer wi th Ge ne's pass in.g."
Range r Dobson 's na me will be added to the National Police Hall of Fame at Port Charlotte, Florida.
The Citation is designed to be presented to the immediate fa mily of the officer who was killed a s a token of recognit ion by thi s nation that his sacri fi ce was not 10 vat n and will not be lost to time.

Mr. Jame s E. Pin s on, Ran ge r Newton-Ro ckdale Fore s try Un it P. 0. Box 686 Covington, Georgia
Dear Mr. Pinson:
Yesterday your Unit di s cover e d and fo u~ht a woods and field lire on our !ann at Covington. The efforts of your people along with the City Fire Department, were truly heroic. I was astounde d at your ability to control a fire which appeared to me tobe beyond control.
Undoubt e dly your good work h eld loss and damag e to th e lowes t poss ible minimum and I am most g rate ful to y ou. Pl e a s e expres s my thanks to your a ssistant s and as sociat e s.
Sin cere ly,
Charl es H. Starlin g
Mr. Jo e Bag weii G eorgia Forestry Commi ssion P . 0 . Box 1077 Macon , G e org ia
Dea r Mr. Bagwe ll.
Thank s s o much for th e Geo rg i a Forestry Memory Fun d check. It was handled so p romptly and h elped me when it was ne e ded so badl y. Y o u wiii n ever kno w h ow much it mean t to me . It was m ost comfo rting at s uch a sad tim e.
Sin cerely,
Mr s. W. B. Reddin g
Mr. Biiiy Rowe Berrien County Fo rest Ranger Nashvi ii e, Geo rgia
Dear Biiiy:
The Berrien County Hom e Demons tration Coun c il and I thank you for helping us in the Civil Defense Home Preparednes s Wo rksh op h e ld Dec. 7-8. Without you r help we cou ld have never held thi s workshop.
If we can ever be of h e lp to r ou, please call on u s .
With b es t wi shes, I am
Sincerely ,
Liiiian W. Griner Home Demonstration A g ent Berrien County
Mr. T. B. Clifton Toomb s County Fore stry Unit Route 4 Lyons, Georg ia
Dear Mr. Clifton:
Thank you very much for th e lin e servi ce y ou rendered u s on the e v ening of Dec. 24.
Your a l e r tn ess in det e cting th e fore s t fi r e on our prope rty in Toombs County and y our prompt a c tion in s to pping th e s prea d of the fire saved u s from wh a t could h ave result e d in severe d amage to a l a rge a n~ a o f youn g pine s.
We appreci a t e tl1e e ffi cien cy o f yo ur unit.
Yours very truly,
W. Wa l do B radl ey

Logging the foresters .

FESTIVAL ...Georgia Senator Herman Talmadge is scheduled to speak at the Ware County Forestry Festival slated for Apr.il 25. The event will be sponsored by the Waycrossllare County Chamber of Commerce to focus attention on the importance of th{" pine tree and its products to South Georgia. Noel P. Miller, vicepresident, Southern Bank, is chairman of the event. The festival will include presentation of the master tree farm award, forestry and queen contests, parade and barbecue.
Charles B. Place, Jr., assistant district forester, Management, Rome, has been prormted to I & E Assz'stant,M.acan. He succeeds John F. Rayrmnd. Place_ came with the Commission in November, 1956. He received his BS Dewee in forestry from Eastern Michigan CdleR,e in 1954. and is a graduate of the New York State RanR,er Scl:xXJl. Place, a reR,istered forester, is a member of the Society of American Foresters. MEMORIUM ... WILLIAM BLANTON REDDING, JR., patrolman, Bibb County Forestry Unit, died of a cerebral hemmorhage Dec. 20, 1961 while in the performance of his duties. REDDING, a graduate of Barnesville A & M High, came with the Georgia Forestry Commission in 1942. He was a member of the Masonic 'Lodge, Lizella and the Georgia Farm Bureau, Macon. ROY CARR, towerman and dispatcher, Laurens County Forestry Unit, passed away Dec. 10, 1961. CARR came with the Commission in 1951. The Dublin towerman is a graduate of the Cedar Grove School, Alamo. He was an active member of the Oak Dale Baptist Church, Dublin.

Bill Bergof!en. chief, Audio-Visual Branch, USPS, Washington. D. C., seeks uays and means of reaching the public through his panel of experts. The panel merrhers are John A Haislet, Texas Forest Service, College Station. Texas; "Ranger Jim'' Martin, Arkansas Forest Service, Little Rock, Arkansas; and Phil Archibald, Georgia National Forests, USPS, Gainesville. Re~ presenting the Commission uere "Rip" Fontaine, Jr. and john F. Rayrmnd, I & E assistants, Macon. TREE IMPROVEMENT.. .Is the theme of the joint meeting of the Georgia Chapter Society of American Foresters and the Georgia School of Forestry Alumni. Frank Bennett, Georgia Chapter chairman, Cordele, said the meeting will be held in the Manger Hotel, Savannah, May 3-4.

v I1
, U~-
Georf!,ids 1,000th Tree Farmer, Leroy Stapleton. Metter, receives conwatulations from Sam Thurrmn, Union BC1?,-Camp fJro-
CUTement forester. E. A Daventxnt, Jr. , Union Bag chief conservation forester, and
Georgia Tree Farm chairman, made the Tree Farm presentation. Recent figures shaw there are 1,170 tree farms with an acreage of5,440,205 in Geor{!,ia.

The University of Georgia has been desig-
nated as an approved repository for North American forest history. W. P. Kellam ,director, University of Georgia libraries, right, accept ed the cert ificate of designation from E. R. Maunder, director, Forest History Society, Inc. Present at the cerem:mz'es were A M Herrick, dean, George Foster Peabody Scl:xXJl of Forestry, left, and Vernon Yow,
historian, Southeastern Section, Society of
American Foresters.

SAF ...Georgians are among the new officers and fe llows of the Society of American Foresters. B. E. Allen, manager, Woodlands Division, Union Bag-Camp Paper Corp., was named vice -president. Archie E. Patterson, fores t ma nagement professor, School of Forestry, University of Georgia, Athens, was elected to a two year term on the SAF Council. Henry J. Malsberger, General manager, Southern Pulpwood Conservation A ~ '>11. , Atlanta, was elected to the grade of Fell ow.

.--
Georg' . _F 1a ,' ORESTRY
MARCH 1962

Entered as second class matter at the Pose Office, Macon, Georgia

HELP US PROTECT YOU R FORES T
GEORGIA FORE STRY COMMISSIO N