Georgia forestry, Vol. 2, no. 2 (Feb. 1949)

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Georgi a !'ores trJ

( frC/111 '!he Moo.l trie Observer}
Timber is one of o~r dependabl~ state resources. we get an 1ncome !rom 1t year by year. we don't all have t!mber of 9ur own but we all receive benefits from 1t, our' annual crop of timber. carelessness in handling our forestry products results in the loss of thousands of dollars every year as a consequence of our forest fires.
we have made some progress. in curtail ing our annual number of fires, but
in 1947 we had a bad year. The acres o!
timber burned over amounted to 2,273,936. A good port ion of the state has organized for the protection of forests. Fortytwo out of 159 counties have organized fire protection. This is helping those counties where fire protection is being practiced, but it does no good in those counties where no fire protection is in operation. we suppose you might put Colquitt county in the class of the unprotected counties.
Last year only four percent of forest fires originated in territory where they have organized fire protection.The state Department of Forestry is well pleased with the results that they get in fire resistance in the areas where they have the right type of organization and are taking the protective measures.
Maybe we will get around in the end to placing all of the counties of the state in the protected area. Millions of dollars are involved in it,but we cannot say that millions of people are as deeply interested in it as they should be. we are doing well growing timber where

Georgia Forestry

Vol. 2

No. 2

FEBRUARY 19U9 A monthly bulletin publisheo by the Georgia Department of Forestry,435 State Capitol, Atlanta, Ga., as a public service to farmers, other landowners,and timber industries. Enterea as secorvi.-c"lass matter APril 15, 19~8, at th e Post Office, Atlanta, Ga., under the act of August 2~, 1912.

it is protected. You can see when you look casually and with the natural eye that nature is helping us in ~estoring our forest 1ands and produc 1ng good crops of timber. But those who try to conserve the forests find a lot of waste and a lot of carelessness among those who handle this immensely valuable cash crop. There is carelessness on the part of those who let fires originate on the timbered lands. There is also waste in our methods of harvesting the crop of trees that are used for lumber and those used for pulpwood.
It seems that we need legislation for one portion of our problem and we need organization and cooperation for the rest of it. We should all help by following leaders, li~t~ning toeducatio~al suggestions and g1v1ng our ~ooperat19n in re?ucing the numoer.of f.1res and 1n speed1ng along the grow1ng p1nes.
(lro. fhe Millen News)
we Jenkins county citizens still have money to burn. A casual investigation throughout the county reve~ls that we have 1\ad numerous forest f 1res during t_he past few days. Our forest products are one of our greatest natural resources and whenever we burn them we are simply burning money not only for this generation but fer the generations to come.
Our Forest Protection Unit within the county is ready and willing to assist in
the suppression of forest fire$. we
must call fpr the~r help when a fire 9evelops. The cal1 should be made Immediately and not after the fire has gained too much headway. The Unit will help you fight your fires but the cooperation of the landowner is also nPP.ded.
There has been an idea that we can burn up all the boll weevils ana rabid foxes within the county. This is impossible and we are only kidding ourselves to burn our woods to help destroy the~e nuisances. It cannot be done 1n thiS manner.
Let's stop burning up money inJenkins County. Our future depends somewhat on the protection that we give to these great natural resources.

~ feb~ua~y, 19!J9

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$300mi//ion Grow on
Georgia's Trees Annually
Georgia~s greatest natural resource, its forescs, covers 66% of the scate, and produces an income of nearly $300 million each year. Thousands of people are employed year 'round in the state's fastgrowing pulp and paper indus tries and the many allied timber enterprises.
Thineen million acres of our timber land are noc protected against fire, and only 42 of Georgias 159 counties have any organized fire procection. Last year alone lire robbed us of 2,273,036 acres of this valuable timber.
Many agencies are cooperating in educating the people on the necessity of adequate lire protection and good forestry practices. These include the State Departments of Forestry and Education, Georgia Forestry Association, U. S. Department of Agriculture and irs state and county representatives and chose industries interested in timber. It is urged that an adequate fire control system be adopted statewide. By doing this, Georgia can realize full income from its forests year after year.
You as a citizen can help protect Georgias moneymaking trees by supporting tbis program and by practicing lire prevention individually.
CALL OR WRITE your County Age.qr or other agricultural tepre sentarive. They will be glad to show you how you r;an nH~lp Kup G~orgkt
Gre~n ."
The above forestry message has been inse~ted in 10 Georgi a publications by the Trust cc:mpany of. Geo~g ia. Besides eight daily ne1vspapers, the advedisemen t appeared t-n the Edt-tor's forum and the Southern Banker, tvo Georgia magazines.

Georgia forest

CROSS tiES stacked fo,.. seasoning at the East Point plant of Atlanta's Southern Tiood p~ se nJing coapany.

Cross Tie Report

. I~ reased ~aw'!l i1 1 product ion of cross t1es 1n Georgia IS forecast by the Railway Tie Association in a report that ~~nts out a great many of the old-time ~1e chopp~rs' are slowly dropping out w1th practically no replacements from the younger generation."
The trend to ~awn ties results in a c loser relationship between prices for 1umber and ties, according to the report c ontained in a current issue of The Cross Tie Bulletin. The article points out:
"The mill operator is free to direct his production primarily toward the product bringing the better price. In the past when a larger proportion of cross ties were produced by hand-hewing, there was considerable fluctuation in production, very little ties being produced during the s<H:alled 'busy' farm seasons. This factor,- however, is having less influence a~ the trend towards saw.n ties continues~ During the year labor, while not of the best, has been ample, and although there were seasonal variations in tie production depending upon weather cond1tions, the over-all production for the year showed about the same or possibly a little increase over 1947.
"There continues a strong demand for cross ties, and even though the lumber market has weakened slightly for the lower grades, there has been no reduction in the price of ties. If the demand continues, and so long as there is no further weakening of the lumber market, we can naturally expect the present

prices to be maintained. Throughout the territory one may see a substantial nu ber of special size cross ties whic have been stacked for a number of month produced on export orders which were later cancelleo. Due to excessive rain cross tie production for the month o November dropped approximately 20 pen cent. we believe that weather condition will be about the only orawback to eros tie product ion.
"Mills have timber available and ar anxious to cut ties. Although No. common pine market has shown some littl improvement, mills are not Interested i cutting pine at the prices prevailing; hence, cross tie production should hol its own provided weather conditions wil permit the mills to operate a good por tion of the time."
John w. Reynolds, of Albany, wa elected president of the southeaster lumberman's Club at the organization' annual meeting at Montgomery last month .
Other Georgians named to office in elude E.A.Scott, of Augusta, vice-presi dent; and the following directors: E. E Sullivan, Preston; Edwin l. Douglas, Augusta; A. H. Bankston, savannah; an Robert H. Rush, Hawkinsville.

'r february, 19~9

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Forestry Association Praised

For 'Burning Question' Booklet

widespread praise has been won by the Georgia Forestry Associatlon_for issu[ng the colorful booklet;"A.Burn1ng QUest1on~ The publication described the forest fire situation in Georgia and was rlistributed early this year.
Two pages from the booklet were pub1 ished by the Naval stores Review and they are reproduced with this article. The naval stores magazine, coornent ir>J on the booklet, said facts are forcibly presented in graphic style to th~ reader:
"It is a well-conceived piece of promotional 1 iterature~, declared the Naval Stores Review.
The booklet also was described in the

t~e condition of forest resources in Georgia. some of the items mentioned
WHO ELSE BENEFITS?...

PROFITABLE... Theaverage acre of Georgia woodland produces an average of $5.00 per year for the owner

AND... there are some 23,000,000 woodland acres owned by Georgians
Georgia ranlu:
magazine, southern Lumberman, and in numerous newspapers. The Rockmart Journal commented on the publication editorially and said:
"The Georgia Forestry Association has publ i~hed a forceful booklet, highly colorful and effectively demonstrated. on

are worth repeating, we feel.
"The booklet, entitled "A Burning Question, begins by reminaing the reader that' n6 per cent of the state's area is in forest l~nd and that Georgia ranks first in the United states in privately owned forest area and in the number of forest 1and owners. AS for the tatter, 23 mill ion acres of forest land are owned by Georgian~. 70 per cent of this being in the hamJs of the small owner.
"So far so good. But. .. and here is introduced a somewhat disturbing set of facts... it is pointed out that Georgia's forest lands are producing at only onehalf of their capacity; that four and a quarter mi 11 ion acres in the stute are poorly stocked; that better than half the counties in the state are nonprotected as far as forests are con-
(Continued on Page 10)

Georgia forest

Dixie's Largest Seed Fir Is Located 1 n Georgia

By DICK DAVIS
The largest forest tree seed business in the south is located in Georgia.
In the fall of 1938, Ernest Hinson was employed as a forester and his job called for 1ocat ing and contracting w1t h a number o~ people to collect a large supply of p1ne cones.
The collectors spent consiaerab}e time and gathered the cones to fill ~heir quotas. Then came the disappointIng news. Most of the seed would not be needed. Orders were reduced or cancelled.
Ernest was left holding the bag--many bags--bags filled with pine cones. He had already agreed to take the cones. Feeling his responsibility to the collectors, and resolved tr1at neither he or they would lose if it could be prevented, Ernie went to work. Time Wff5 short. with his ever-present energy and i ngenuity and his u5ual big smile and nappy, contagious laugh, Ernest Hinson -started out to convert a warehou5e full ot pine cones 1nto money.
-An abandoned chicken house was taken over, repaired and made weatherproof to prevent heat loss. stoves for heating were moved in next. The cone kiln was ready. The building was heated, and the unopened cones spread out on the floor. As the cones dried and opened, the seeds were removed by hand shakers and were dewinged, cleaned and packed in bags. Meanwhile, markets were found for the first output of seeds.
With all hi5 seeds sold, all the cone collectors fully paid, and with a ma rket assured for his following years 5eed output, Hinson found himself established in the fore5t tree seed business. Thus began wnat is today the southern seed
of Company of Baldwin, Georgia, a ccmpanv
that now handles about 110,600 pounds for est tree seed a nnually and send ~ its seed not only throughout the southern a nd eastern Unit ed st ates, but al so to widespread pa rt s of the world.

Mr.Hinson is a graduate of the school of Forestry of the University ofGeorgia. Though born in England, he arrived in ~his country v.:hen two y~ars of age a~d 1s now a genu1ne Georg1a Crac~er. H1s bro~her, Harold, is a partner in the bUSiness.

Among the principal domestic users to which seed is supplied are the state forest services of all the southeastern states, the Soil Conservation Service, United States Forest service and private industries. Through commercial exportE-s. part of the company's seed produc-
t lor. has found 1ts way to New Zealand, South Africa, India, and south America.

Five species of pine seed are handled

by the company. slash, longleaf,and

loblolly pine comprise most of the seed

volume. Shortleaf. and white pine seed

are processed in smaller quantities. A

verJ 1 imited amount of yellow poplar

~ee is collected and prepared for plant-

Ing.



Harvest time begins about the first of septemoer when the first of the Slash pine cones begin to mature. For weeks before this, the cone crop is watched closely in order that the individual cone collectors can be told exactly wnen to start work. The cones must be collected just as they mature and before they open up about two weeks later. If gathered before they reach maturity and while still green, the cones will not open and the seed cannot be extracted. If left too long after they mature, the cones open before they are collected and much of the seed is lost.

Originally, collectors were carried
out to gather the cones, but the company now has cone buyers in various locations over the South Georgia counties where the seed is obtained. The buyers obtain cones from numbers of individual collectors. Much of the loblolly seed is collected by following logging operations and tak1ng the cones from the tree crowns that remain after the saw logs have been removed. Cones of the loblolly, longleaf and the s hortleaf pines

february, 191J9
mature later than those of the slash pine, and the collecting work continues through the late fall.
When the cones have been gathered, they are spread out on the floors of warehouses. Here the cones remain while drying and opening. Some seasons the cones open readily under the ordinary conditions of temperature and numidity, out in other years artificial heating and drying is necessary to ?P~n the cones. Large fans and steam p1p1ng are installed in the building to g1ve continuous warm air circulation when it is needed.
When the cones are fully opened, the seeos are removed by shakers mounted on wheels. As the shakers are moved through the warehouse, cones are placed in them. The seeds are dislodged from the cones, fall through the mesh-wire bottom of the shakers, and are carried off by conveyors and packed in bags.
Thousands Q f bushels of open cones remain. A market has been found for this "by-product. l'lany bushels of these cones are sold every year to decorators for use in wreaths and holiday designs.
The seed is then true ked to the c1eaning mill located in Banks County. The mill is a small cement block structure built on two levels. All operations in the seed preparation--the scalping, dewinging, and cleaning~are carried on in this building. A refrigerated seed storage bin is also built into the structure. The upper level houses the scalper, the , dewinger, cleaner, and storage bin are located on the lower level. Gasoline enlgines furnish power for all the mechanica1 equipment.
When the unprepared seed first arrives at the mill, it is passed through the scalper to remove foreign material such as cone scales, twigs or dirt. The 1scalper feeds directly below to the drum dewinger. The dewinger consists of a metal cylinder about two feet in d i,ameter and six_feet in length, witi1 corrugations on its inner side. Brushes ,revolve within the cylinder and as the ,seeds pass through the cylinder, the Yings are cleanly removed without damage to the seed. In the processing of long;feaf seed, dewinging IS omitted.
(Continued on Page 10)

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Georgia Near Top
In Lumber Output
Georgia led the ~out heast in the production of softwood lumber in 1947 and stood second in the output of softwood and hardwood 1ur~ber combined, according to prelimina ry figures obtained from a census of manufacturers for 19117, conducted by the Departr,Jent of CoiTrnerce.
Georgia's total lu mber production aggregated 1,6R7,11111 , 000 board feet of which 1,11111,593.000 was softwood and 272,821.000 hardwood. This was approx imately 21 per cent of t he total product ion of 7,823. 769,000 ooard feet registered for t :re states of Georgia, Floridc. Alabama, Mississippi and the Carolinas.
The state's total pro~uction in 19117 was more than 100,0-00 , 000 feet less than that of.19116, however, and nearly 200,000,000 feet short of t ne 19112 output. The production in Georgia has followed a rather general sectional pattern, production declininy in most of the Southeastern states during the war and picking up again after the war, only to decline again as U1e postwar period progressed.
Largest producer a1110ng t he ~outheast ern states in 19117 as reflected in the report was Alabama with a total of 1,7911,961,000 feet. Other state total s were North r.arol ina, 1 . 539,65~'>,000, Mississippi, 1,397,1115,000, south carol ina, 871.0111.000, and Florida, 533,579,000.
Smokey Says: ~---

Ernest Pinson smites as he cteans his tree seet buitdinl( at Ba ld, in, Ga. He operates the L~rgest forest tree seed ,bus iness in the South.

There's No Profit In Wild Wood~t Fires!

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Protection Unit Being Formed For Richmond County
A forest fire protection unit is being established at Augusta for Richmond ~ounty and will begin operation at an early date.
James Reid, of Fitzgerald and At hens, has been employed as ranger. He is a graduate of the School of Forestry at the University of Georgia and a veteran of world war 11. Ranff! c- Reid is married and has one child.
Two fire trucks have been ordered for the new unit, announces District Forester Jim Turner, who also pointed out a tower is available for immediate construction in Richmond County.
Members of the county forestry board are s.B. Speer, chairman; J.w. Chambers, c. c. Howard, David F. Frankl in, nnd Mr. Turner.
Sixty-six per cent of Richmond count~ or 1J7,49Q acres, is classed as forest land.

Georgia forestr)
Members of the Southern Pulpwood Conservation Association heard their association praised as a representative of i~ dustry discharging social obl igations at their annual meeting held on February 9 and 10 in Atlanta.
v. J. Hardenbrook, vice president of t he Union Bag & Paper Corp., told the more than 200 pulpwood dealers and manufacturers attending the session that en1 ightened management seeks to preserve our forests, to treat timber as a crop and to exercise good forestry and sound cutting practices so this natural resou~ce will be available for use by postentv.
Speakers at the opening session were Ray F. weston, chief forester. Hollinasworth & Whitney co.; 1. T. Halg, director, southeastern Forest Experiment Station; J. H. Johnson, forester, The Chesa-
peake corp., of virginia; o. J. Weddell,
Dean, Peabody School of Forestry, University of Georgia, and H. J. Malsberger, general manager for the association, who pres~nted the.annual report of the organ' zat 1on.

NURSERY IMPROY.EHEK!S--Mechanized. production of forest tree s~edlings is a prac-. tice at nurseries of the Georgia forestry Department. A shed for the storage of equipaent has been completed at the flowery Branch Nursery recently and it is pictured below. L. C. Hart, Jr., assistant director in charge of nurseries and 11anag~ment activities, looks over the new structure.

THIS IS Keep Geo~gia G~een Week, ~ocLaimed by Gov. Herman E. falmadge, above,
who smiles at T. Guy Woolford after affixing his signature to a Proclamation setting aside february 20-26 as a pe~iod for citizens to consider the condition
and importance of Georgia's woodlands. Equally pleased is R. H. White, Jr., of Atlanta, right. Both Hr. White and Hr. Woolford are wewb~rs of the Board of Directors of the Georgia forestry Association which sponsors Keep Georgia Green, now in its second year. Numerous ~ominent Georgians have issued statementsurging citizens to help protect and expand the state's forestry resources.

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Georgia forestry

One of the most famous trees in Georgia is the tree that owns itself~ located in Athens on Dearing street. In 1820, Colonel William H Jackson willed to a white oak tree, in fee simple, all land within 8 feet of its trunk. Sometime ago, this old oak had to be replaced by Qne of its offsprin~ but Georgia sttll has a tree that owns itself.
Another famous Georgia tree is the Lanier oak, located at Brunswick near the causeway to st. simons Island. Legend has it that this marks the scene where Sidney Lanier received the
"JOE BEAVER..

inspLration for his poem,"The Marshes of Glynn.
At Darien, is found the Oglethorpe Oak. This is one of the largest trees in the state, and it is reported General Oglethorpe and about 150 of his men rested underneath this tree when he marched against the Spainards at st. Augustine in 17112.
NEW PLANT OPENS The Builders supply company was
recently opened in Ocilla, Ga., with Robert Coley as manager.
By Ed Nofziger

Forest Service, U. B. Department of Agriculture
"Is tlrat the kind of poles you wanted? I thought you wanted
opinion polls-been out all morning asking questions."

r february, 1~9

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A poetry contest among ij-H Cluo members of Emanuel county has been conducteo by Jim Salter, ranger for the county Protection Unit. winners were conducted on a tour by Mr. Salter who showed the youngsters fire towers and trucks, twoway radio in operation, and other activities of the fire protection unit.
A sample of the response to Ranger Salter's educational project follows:
LONG LIVE OUR FORESTS by Connie vaughn Oa~ Park ij-H Club
we have beautiful forests These we must protect, ~~ have Towers, Trucks, Equipment, And these we can't neglect. we have fire protection So let us watch our step. Don't let thos~ fires get started, Let's show them we can help. Don't let those fires get started, It just ta~es watching out. Be careful when you go hunting, That's easy, there's no doubt. All of our Animals A~a wi 1d things that roaf!l Lrve a carefree, happy 1 1fe, They make our Forest their home. Long live our Forests Always and Forever! Let's not let fire destroy tnem, Never, 0, no never.
eeks Spool Wood
Another wood-using industry is interested in Georgia's forest resources.
The Lily Mills Company, a ttread and yarn manufacturer of Shelby, N.C., contacted the Georgia Forestry Department, seeking woods suitable for making spools. Samples were furnished the firm by the Department.
4NOTHER MILL BURNS Saw mill equifment of the Pratt
~ umber company, o covington, was lost ~ n a fire last month.

Tree Seedsmen
(Continued from Page 8) The dewinoer, in turn, feeds by gravity directly to the Clipper Cleaner. The cleaner take s out all of the loose wing fans and other foreign materi al , ana screens the seed to select the good quality seed and eliminate the poor. The seed is passed through the cleaner twice.
cold, dry storage .is used to prevent deterioration or premature germrnatron of the seed. The rni 11 has a steel refrigerated chamber with a storage capacity of tw~n_ty tt1ousand pounds of see_d.. constant low tem~eratures and humidities a(e maintained In - the stora;,e bin by means of mechanical controls and recorders.
Spring is usually well advanced by the tirne all the seed is processed and the busy mont ns are over for the rl i nsons. Especially is this true during good seed years which occur two or three times in a five year period. During these good seed years an effort is made to collect and prepare as much seed as possible.
Ernest admits he is ready for a vacation when the last ba~ of seea is packed But after a short rest you can usually find him out working around the farm. He may be setting out a new pine pla ntation of his own, for Ernest 1 i kes to grow pines as well C!S co]lect the seea.
(Continued from Page ~) cernea ana that tnose wh1ch have protect ion units are adeyuately eyuipped in only half the cases. Fire, the boo~let points out, is the greatest destroyer of our forest reserves, and is the biggest c.ause for inefficiency in the production of forest products.
"Bringing tne matter closer home, tne Seventh DistricJ, the j:larnphlet .shows, has 8 protecte count1es ana 7 nonprotected counties. PoTk falls into the latter category, not having an organized fi~e fightrng unit and not being protected with sufficient r ange r s and fire fighting apparatus.
"As is point ed out, in order to protect Georgia's valuable forest reserves, there must be deve loped a statewide forest control s yst em . Only in that way can we insure complete protection in every sect 10n of our state. Fa r too many counties are now leaving the matter to the individua l, with the conseyuence that much Qf our timber is going to waste and w1th it a golden opportunity to bette r our standard of 1 ivrng.

Georgia Forestry
FEBRUARY, 1949

IN THIS ISSUE
Editorial ...... cross Tie Proauct ion. . . ~Burning Question" Booklet. Tree Seed Business. Keep Georgia Green.

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Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office, Atlanta, Ga.
Library School of Forestry University of Georgie. Athens, Georgia