Georgia forestry, Vol. 3, no. 1 (Jan. 1950)

Georgia Forestry JANUARY 11.51

Page (he

Georgia forestry

Forest Fires

Fire Protection

Costly To All

(from the Rome News-Tribune)

The fall season is always a dan-

gerous period for forest fires and

the continued dry weather creates a

greater hazard this year. TheGeor-

gia Forestry Commission has urged

extra precaution during the next few days . as ~he_ e'ftended dry peri-
oc;l and lu gh w1nds 1ncrease the lik-

11hood of small fires spreading. . In .the 77 counties with organ-

1zed f1re protection, county forest rangers and their crews work round-

the-clock to quickly detect locate

and extinguish fires and reduce the

loss in acreage.

The Forestry Commission has is-

sued a_direct appeal for public co-

operat1on which can

qtuoicpkrleyvednetstcroo~stltyhofuisraensd~

of acres of valuable t1mber and

kill off young trees that wiil te

so badly needed in the future.

Carelessness is still the chief

cause of forest fires. Nine out of

10 forest blazes are caused bycare-

lessness. Punters and campers

should make certain their fires are out b~fore leaving the woods. The

dropp1ng of cigarets and matches from ~ speeding car can often result ~n a costly fire. Careless handl1ng of brush fires is also

dang_':rous, as is the _I>ractice of b~rn1ng off new ground without

f1rst plowing fire breaks around the area.

All Georgia suffers when fires

sweep our woodlands. Precaution in
pre~enting fires will benefit the ent1re state. Our forests still

represent one of our greatest re-

sources, and it behooves us all to

cooperate in preventing waste

through woodland fires.

(from the Wa~ker County Messenger)

The heavy frosts the past days are causing the leaves to fall and make the setting for destructive
fires in our wooded areas. Every precaution should be taken
against setting the woods on fire. It.is a waste that care and caution can prevent. A lighted match thrown down after lighting a cigarette or pipe or cigar, starts a conflagration that, before itcan be checked, does damage that cannot be repaired, or if repaired it takes years. The loss is heavy and the future pays a too great penalty.
Then it has been called to our attention that some of the farmers are planning to burn off their woods
and timberland this winter and spring to kill the boll weevil. The loss by fire is far greater than any loss by the boll weevil, and before that is done the farmer who is plan-
ning such a procedure should think a long time before he does it, and count the cost to himself and the community in which he lives.
If.every person will get fireconsc1ou~ an~p;ay ~he part of a constru~t1ve c1 hzen 1n this matter, t~ere w1ll be no devastating forest f1res, and a tremendous waste of r~sources, of money and maybe lives w111 be saved.
. So,. let us all be careful about flres 1n our woods and fields.
Georgia Forestry

Yol. 3

JANUARY, (QSO

No. 1

A mon~hly bulletin putlished by the Georg1a Forestry Commission, 4~~

State Capitol, Atlanta. Fntered as

second-class matter at the Post

Office, Atlant of August 24,

al~H2G.a.M, eumnbdeer,r

the act [eorgi a

Press Association.

January, 1 950

Page Two

Commission Activities Expanded

Greatly During Past Six Months

During the past six ~onths,
State forestry in Georgia has expanded more than in any similar period on record. In fact, the great expansion in fire protection acti~i ties of the Ceorg1a Forestry ('.onrn1s-
sion since July 1, 1949 has roughly
equalled tne expansion during the previous ten years.

Prior to the start of the present

fiscal year on July 1, there were only 41 counties and 8 ~million

acres under organized fire protec-

tion. Today--just sixmonths later--

79 counties have organized forest protection units covering 13 1/2

mi Ilion acres.

Organization of the new Forest

Protection Units has been a tremen-

dous job. (ualified County Forest Pangers had to be employed to h~ad

each of the county units. Spec1al

schools were held during the summer

to train all newly-employed Rangers

in the techniques of fire prevention and fire suppression. Rangers le~rn

ed first-hand how to use the vanous vehicles, plows, power pumps a~d

other mobile equipment employed 1n

fire fighting.

A total of 84 vehicles have been

purchased _and equipped with tan,ks, p.1mps, rad1os and liand tools . . ~--any

of the vehicles have been f1tted with plows for making suppress~on

plowing and making pre-suppress1on firebreaks. Vehicles have be~n

equipped andoutfi tted at the Georg1a

Forestry Commission workshops at

Waycross.

.

Sixty-six steel forest f1re look-

out towers are being erec.ted ~h~ough

out the State. The 1nd1v1d~al

county units completed construct1on of all foundations in the ea~ly

fall. The nationwide steel str1ke

occasioned an unavoidable and very regrettable delay in erection of ~he

towers. Since the end of the stnke every possible ~ve.has been.made

to expedite fabncat1on and dehvery

of the tower material with a \i.ew to

placing all towers inoperation dur-

ing the first part of 1950.

Georgia is assuming the lead
among Southern states in the number of seedlings produced in state nurseries. Indications are that a

record total of 40 mi Ilion seedlings
will be shipped to landowners during
the current planting season, and this will establish a new, all-time high for the State.
The scope and quality of manage-
ment and marketing services to landowners is increasing. Farm foresters are now providing management and marketing assistance in the first,
fourth, seventh, ninth and tenth districts. These farm foresters are qualified, experienced, technical foresters ....homark timber stands for cutting and advise forest owners on
woodland management. More requests for assistance have been handled during the calendar year just closed than during anyother similarperiod.
The educational and informational work of the ~eorgia Forestry C'omll1ission has been broadened as rapidly as the extremely limited funds and personnel have allowed. The entire
fire prevention program--a most vital phase of the forest fire protection work--has been largely one of public education.
Comprehensive, sustained educational programs are conducted in protected counties by the Pangers and District Foresters.
Ail ava(lable. means--including
press, radio, movies, public speaking, personal contacts and appearances, publishing of material and distribution of miscellaneous literature, demonstrations and exhibits--have been employed in reach-
ing the landowners and citizens of the county. The fine support and excellant cooperation of the press and radio and other organizations and cooperating agencies throughout the State has been increasingly gratifying.
Substantially increased State
appropriations are absolutely essential to the continuation of the past progress in State forestry, to
the maintaining of the present scale of operations, and to an expansion of fire protection to the extent the value of Georgia's great forest
resource demands. An Immediate
appropriation is required for use dUring thenext six months._ To ex-
tend protection during next fiscal year, will require a greatly increased yearly appropriation.

Page- Three

Georgia Forestry

Walker County Begins Protection;

Ranger and Forestry Board Named

The Walker County Forest Protection Unit began operation January 1, bringing 180,000 .c;nore acre~ of Georgia timberland under protechon. Seventy-one percent of the total land area of Walker County is in forest. Thev.oodland acreage totals 202,711, with 182,321 acre~ being in private and state ownershtp.
Ralph G. McCUrdy, Sr., of Lafayette, has been appointed Forest Ranger for Walker County and as such will head the Forest Protection Unit. Mr. McCurdy graduated from Lafayette High School and attended Young P.arris College two years. ~'is past experience includes twelve years farming, four years
as a ::bil Conservation Service Aide, and three years as a salesman and
bookkeeper.
At present, the Walker County
a Unit is equipped with a quarter-ton
jeep and pickup. The small jeep carries a power pump and suppression plow. The pickup carries tanks and a power pump. Foth vehicles are outfitted with hand pumps, fire rakes, fire flaps and other hand fire-fighting equipment. Plans

call for early installation of twoway FM radios, in all ~ehicles and towers of the Walker Un1t.
The services of the forest protection unit are available to all landowners of Walker County. The unit works on a 7-day a week, 24hour-a-day schedule and will answer fire calls in any area of the county.
The Walker Cbunty Forestry Foard has been appointed and has be~ ~o function in an advisory capac1ty 1n the operation of the County Forest Protection Unit. Members of the Board, with their terms of appoint-
ment are: Purl Hall, Chickamauga, one year; Raymond Hixon, Chickamauga, 2 years; Frank Shaw, Kensington, 3 years; J. C. Keown, Lafayette, 4 years; H. A. Davison, Lafayette, 5 years. Each of the members of the
Forestry Foard is a forest owner and permanent resident of the county.
Two forest fire lookout towers will be erected in the county in the near future. The 60- foot steel
towers will be located on High Point, and on Gulf MOuntain. Foundations for the towers have alreadf been constructed. The towers w1ll be
manned throughout the fire season, and when useo in conjunction with towers of the Forest Service, will
give complete cov;rage of the <;ounty and greatly facil1tate detect1on of v.oods fires.

Forest fires don't always stop

at the woods edge. This was one of

three farm buildings--including a

farm home--destroyed by an intense,

wind-driven woods fire in an unpro-

tected county.

- ---

Hundreds of acres of woodland

were destroyed. Organized fire Pro-

tection could have prevented these

great Losses. If this county had

been under organized protection,

the forest Protection unit could

have confined the fire to a smalL

area and averted destruction of the

home and farm bui laings.

0

January, 1950

Page Four

(/~ DJ.Mede!U
<Jalz,e Prvd -'"
Socist~ MeeiUf
Several Georgia foresters will take part in panel discussions during the 1050 meeting of the Southeastern Section, SoCiety of American Foresters, to be held in Montgomery, Alabama, January 27- 2~_
'Foresters in Action', is the program theme of the meeting, which will attract more than 300 experienced foresters fromGeorgia, Florida and A1 abama.
James Spiers, Central of Georgia Railroad, Savannah will participate in a panel on 'The Education of a Forester', at the first morning session on January 28.
Inclnded in the discussion groups on the 'Duties and Activities of a Forester' at the second morning session January 28, are Clarence Dietterich, Managing Director, Southern Plywood Manufacturers Association, Atlanta_,and Oscar G. Traczewi tz, Di vi sionManager, South-
(Continued on Page 10}

Publications Aid
Forest Owners
Cooperators in the naval stor~s conservation program can obtain the information they need by con'Sul ting the ,four-page leafl~t, '1950 Naval Stores Conservation Program Pulletin'. The bul_l:tin gives the provisions and conditio~s under which payments will be made for participation in the conservation program. Copies of the l~af let, 1\SCP 1401, can be obtained from the U. S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.
A simplified, inexpensive method of treating fence posts is described in Circular 161 of the Georgia Experiment Station. Thepublication, entitled'"Fence Post Preservation by the Gold-Soak Method" , reports the resultsofstudiesatthe station to determine the effectiveness of treatment by soaking the posts in vats of unheated creosote, pentachlorophenol and copper napthenate. Farmers and landowners can obtain the circular free upon request to the Station.
Results of the studies show that from 24 to 48 hours are required to treat :posts by the cold-soak method. The chief disadvantage of the coldsoak method is the lack of control over the absorption ofpreservative, with approximately six pounds of preservative per cubic foot of wood being required to effectively treat posts.

Mr. Hunter-the game you seek depends on these woods for foodwhy burn it up!

'Marketing Farm Timber in MQnroe Cbunty, Georgia', a recent publication of the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, U. S. Forest Service, provides valuable marketing tips for forest owners in Monroe Cbunty and surrounding Piedmont areas of Georgia. The pamphlet outlines the methods and problems of selling farm timber and analyzes the marketing procedures in Monroe county, which was carefully chosen as being typical of the extensive
.. ooncentration yard belt ...
The booklet, Station Paper No. 3Jcan be obtained from the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Ashville, N. C.

Page Five

Georgia Forestry

Joint Fire Prevention Program

Begins In Walker and Catoosa

An intensive, concerted educational program in forest fire prevention and fire protection has begun in Walker and Catoosa Cbunties under the joint sponsorship of the C~orgia Forestry Cbmmission and the Tennessee Valley Authority; Officially designated as the 'Joint Project for Fire Cbntrol', the cam-
paign will demonstrate to all the people of these two counties the need for, and the substantial benefits of, organized fire protection.
Organized fire protection will
be shown to be a sound investment, not merely an expense. The start of the educational campaign will coincide with the beginning of organized fire protection in Walker
County and the start of operations by the Forest Protection Unit.
Mr. 0. C. Purtz, Educational Forester of the Geor~ia Forestry Commission, will be 1n charge of the educational program. Purtz was recently promoted from his position as Assistant District Forester at Americus, where he has served ~ince his graduation from the School of Forestry, l'niversity of Georgia. Purtz has established residence and headquarters in LaFayette.
"g,u~u,, 1ack, 1114

Objective of the campaign will be to establish and maintain adequate, organized fire protection and fire prevention in Walker County
and to extend organized protection
to Catoosa County. The protection and prevention problems will be studied and analyzed. The compre-
hensive work plan for the campaign calls for the use of all available means of reaching the public and enlisting the cooperation and active support of all persons. The
campaign will serve to test the
progress and achievement in fire prevention, fire protection and reduce fire loss that can be realized through a well-directed, intensive, sustained educational program.
Cboferation and support on the part o all citizens and lando\\fler~
- a factor vital and essential to the success of the fire prevention program- will be soli~ite9 through key persons and organ1zat1ons. The people will be shown the substantial contribution the woodlands
make to their economic welfare. The present value of the woodlands will be contrasted with the potentially much greater value of the
protected forests.

P'UJieciaJH, ti)MC.u,
Firebugs and timber thieves beware!!!
The forces for forest fire protection and law enforcement have been immeasnreabl~bolstered by the addition of 'Snilin' Jack', the svndicated comic strip creation of flying enthusiast Zack Mozley. In a sequence beginning duri-rig December, Smilin' Jack became a 'flying Forest Ranger' and is now hot on the
trail of firebugs and timber thieves. The current run of the comic has
carried some valuable lessons in fire protection, and in using this theme in his strip, Cartoonist Mozley has carried the doctrine of fire p~vention to many people.

January 17 - Annual Meeting, Southeastern Lumberman's Club, Piedmont Hotel, Atlanta.
January 27-28 Annual Meeting, Southeastern Section, Society uf American Foresters, Po tel Whitley, Montgomery, Alabama.
Fe1rua[ti 15. Annual ~eeting, Southernlpwood Conservation Association, Piltmore Hotel, Atlanta.
February 17-18 Southern Forestry Conference andAnnual Meeting,Forest Farmers Association C~operative, George Washington J-iotel, Jacksonville, Florida.

January, 1950

Page Six

Far.m Forestry

Charles F. Evans, of Atlanta, Assistant Regional Forester, Southern Fegion, U. S. Forest Service, is the new President of the Society
of American Foresters. Evans was recently chosen to succeed Clyde S. Martin as head of the professional forestry organization of more than 6,000 members.
Evans joined the V. S. Forest
Service in 1912, and for the past twenty- two years he has been located in the Southern -Region. He is now in charge of state and private forestry activities of the Forest Service in this area.

Dr. George Pinckney Shingler, the 'Pine Patriot', was recently honored by the Gum Procedsors Association at a rreeting in Waycross.

Dr. Shingler has recently retir-

ed as head of the Naval Stores Station of the Bureau of Agricultu~e
and Industrial Chemistry, U.S.b.A.
A top-rung leader in his field, Dr. Shingler is responsible for the development of the widely-used

steam distilling procedures for

processing gum, the method use~ by

the government for gum clean1ng,

the rock-salt method of dehydra-

tfioorn~manrdosthine,

expansion of markets turpentine and their

derivatives.

The meeting was a testimonial.of

admiration, respect and affect1on

for his accomplishments, character and p'ersonali ty as a worthy ci ti~ zen of the South, as scientist and teacher, as a well-loved fellow worker and as a great.and good friend ~f the gum naval stores industry which holds him in hi~h esteem for the energy and devot1on. he has shown in working ever fo~<" 1 ts

greater progress md pl'osperi ty''

These sentiments were incorpoMited in a resolution read by John S.

Laws, of Douglas, Association Secretary, md A. T. Pussey, Association President, presented Dr. Shingler with a handsome silver

platter on behalf of the group.

Session Conducted
Naval stores, flre protection, farm woodlot management and marketing of forest products featured the Farm l'orestry short course held December 13 at the Abraham Faldwin Agricultural College, Tifton. Approximately 200 landowners, vocational agricultural students, and foresters were in attendance. T.M. Cordell, Dean of the College, di.rected_ the program, and President Donaldson welcomed the group atten d i n g the co u r s e .
Ibn J. Weddell, Dean~ School of Forestry, t'niversity of Georgia, opened the morning session with a discussion of Management of Farm Woodlots in a C,eneral Type of Farming. R. E. Davis, Information and Education Chief, Georgia Forestry Commission, spoke on the State Fire Protection Program and How It Will Fenefi t the Snall Landowner. A. F. Shirley, ATFA secretary and manager of the naval stores loan program, spoke on The Naval Stores Program Pest Sui ted for the Snall Landowner.
The afternoon session was devoted to naval stores, marketing discussions, and planting and thinning demonstrations. A. R. Shirley gave a further discussion of the naval stores program and was assisted by Ed Powers and C. F. llikes in Demonstrating the use of the latest tools and the use of acids.
A panel discussion on marketing was led by Dean Cordell with !arley Langdale, Jr., Valdosta, covering poles, piling and crossties, Fruce MacCregor, Southern Pine Association, Macon, on sawlogs, T. A. Liefeld, Gonsultant Forester, Thorn asville, softwoods and hardwoods, and H. J.- Doyle, Area Forester, Southern Pulpwood Conservation Association, covering pulpwood.
Dorsey Dyer, Agricultural Extension rorester, discussed and demonstrated both hand andmachine planting of seedlings. Archie E. Patterson, Associate Professor of Forest-ry, University of Georgia, gave a thinning de~onstration and showed comparisons between thinned and unthinned areas.

Page Seven

Georgia forestry

James Wynens, Jasper County Ranger, recently received the written praises of a landowner for the work being done by the unit. The landowner said, in part, "I want to ex-
press my appreciation for the excellant work being done by our local County Forest Protection service, through Mr. James Wynens ...... This service helped to save my house, farm buildings and timber on Dece~ ber 2 and 3. ''

Ranger James Carter, Polk County and his assistants have just moved into their new headq4a.rters building on the Cedartown-Rockmart Highway.
The new structure includes a reception and display room, garage space for vehicles, repair facilities, and fuel tanks.

Ranger N. A. Medford, CobbCounty, and the members ofhis unit recently made another lifetime friend. A hysterical housewife, whose home was in the path of an intense, fastmoving fire, and apparently doomed by the fire, evacuated all her fumi ture hurriedly. A short while later the family moved all their belongings back into their unscarred
house. The fire had been stopped. Ranger Medford and his assist~nts had quickly and efficiently stopped
the fire.

Ranger Powell Foster, Lamar County, gives the landowners in his county some good advice when he sars the following precautions shou d always be observed in burning-off land:
1. Plow an eight-foot firebreak around the whole area to be burned. 2. Fum after 4 P. M. only. 3. Purn on damp days only.
4. Have ample tools, help and
water available. 5. Notify the County Forest Ranger before buming.
f. Never leave the burning fields untended.

REX:IPE - A R>RESI' RMlGER
First you get a kettle and a fire that's hot and when everything is ready throw in the pot
A doctor, a miner, of lawyers a few and add one sheep herder and a cowboy or two.
Next add a surveyor and right after that-a man with good sense and a good diplomat;
At least one good mason, then give it a stir,-and add to the mess a good carpenter.
A man who knows trees, and don't leave from the list A telephone man and a fair botanist -~-
The next one that's added must be there it's a cinch. It's the man who will stay when it comes to a pinch.
Add a man that will work, and not stand and roar, .Who can do ten thousand things and just a few rmre
Then boil it up well 'and skim off the scum-And a Ranger - you 11 find, is the --
-Residium-
American Forestry

January, 1950

Page Eight

Farm Forestry Program Underway

An expanded program of forest

able to fill requests of small land-

management assistance, designed for owners for' advice and help in mark-

the express benefit of the small

ing and proQ_er harvesting of forest

woodland owners of the State, has

products. The objective is to pro-

begun as a cooperative project of vide the landowner with a substan-

the Georgia Forestry Conmission and tial, sustained income from his

the U. S. Forest Service

woodlands.

Experienced technical foresters,

In rendering management services

who formerly served as Assistant

to l&lldo\lers. farm forester~ adhere

District Foresters, have been de-

to current Commission polfcY..

signated as Farm Foresters and as-

This poficy is intended to make

---- signed to management: assistance and
marketing duties in the first, fourth. seven~h. n;nth ann tenth congressional districts. 1n these areas, the farm foresters are avai 1-

possible the giving of assistance to th.e greatest possible number C!f
(Continued on Page 10)

i'o res try and fire pro tee tion were f eatured in 111any fairexhibits in protected coonties during the fall. These exhi bits are the product of the Rangers' initiative, industry and resourcefuLness . Budget limi tations donot all0t11 County Ran.r! er s funds for 'this effective phase of educationaL work.
At right is pictured the dispLay Habersham forest Ranger floyd lt'i l L1.a111s used to show the PeopLe 1-n his county the value of their wood lands and the benefits of fire protectton

Page Nine

Georgia F'ores try

Jaycees Give FFA Groups Seedlings
The Georgia Junior Olamber of Commerce is furnishing 1,500,000 pine seedlings to FUture Fanners of America for planting. Jaycee clubs in 38 Georgia cities are cooperating to provide a minimum of 5, 000 seed1 ings to each of the 286 FFA Chapters in the State. The seedlings wi 11 be furnished from the Georgia Forestry Commission nurseries at Davisboro, Albany and Flowery Branch.
(Continued on Page 10)
"JOE BEAVER"

Something new has been added in the way of Fowl games. The first annual Gum Turpentine Powl game, srnsored cy the Valdosta Chapter o the Veterans of Foreign Wars with the help of the American Turpentine Fanners Association, was held ~ri day, December 16, in Valdosta. Cook County High School, Adel, Georgia was defeated 19 to 14 by Fernandina Bigh of Fernandina, Florida.
Future plans call for an annual Turpentine Fowl with prominent undefeated high school teams competing.
By Ed Nofziger

Forest Service, U.S. Departm,cnt of Agriculture
"I'm sorry you can't see him-Joe's busy with a tree-breeding experiment, crossing sugar maple with strawberries."

January, 1950

Page Ten

FARM FORESTRY
(Conttnued from Page 8} small landowners. Large forest owners can profitably engage the services of recognized consultant foresters.
Farm foresters now working under the program, with their assigned headquarters, include: Jim Coad, Statesboro; L. L. Lundy, Camilla; George Lavinder, Newnan; ~alph Davis, Fome; Fred P. Amsler, Washi1gton.
JC'S GIVE SEEDLINGS
(Continued from Page 9}
Lee Price of Swainsboro, president of the Georgi a Junior Cumber, and Jim Dixon, DJblin, chairman of' the Jaycees state agricultural committee, are in charge of the program which is in line with the national Jaycees conservation project for the year.
The Jaycees' purpose is to encourage Future Farmers to reforest bare acres and educate the FFA members in the need for reforestation and good forest management. T. G. Walters, state supervisor of vocational education, approves the plan as of great educational value in enabling the FFA members to learn by doing While planting the seedlings on their farms.
GEORGIA FORESTERS

\\HAT 00 WE PLANT WHEN WE PLA"T TI-'E TREE?
What do we plant when we plant the trees?
We plant the ship which will cross the sea,
We plant the mast to carry the sails,
We plant the planks to withstand the gales--
The keel, the keelson, the beam and knee--
We plant the ship when we plant the tree.
What do we plant When we plant the tree?
We plant the houses for you and me.
We plant the rafters, the shingles, the floors,
We plant the studding, the lath, the doors,
The beams and siding, all parts that be,
We plant the house when we plant the tree.
What do we plant when we plant the tree?
A thousand things .that we dail:y see.
We plant the sp1re that out-towers the crag,
We plant the staff for our country's flag,
We plant the shade from the hot sun free:
We plant all these when we plant the tree.
--Py Henry Abbey

(Continued from Page q}
ern Kraft Timberland Corporation, Waycross.
Members of the panel on 'The Ethics of the Forestry Profession', scheduled for discussion at the afternoon session January 28, include: C. F. Evans, Assistant Reg ional Forester, U.S. F. S., Atlanta, who will serve as moderator; Ted Liefeld, Consulting Forester, Thomasville; P. F. Grant, University of Georgia School of Forest~y, Athens; Floyd Cossi tt, U. S. F. S., Atlanta.
The two-day meeting will behighlighted by the three panel discussions, a banquet and a social hour. Displays will be presented by leading manufacturers of forestry equipment.

St. Mary's Kraft Corporation ex pects to place their bag unit in operation early in 1950. The mill will convert heavy kraft paper into bags for industrial use. The unit will greatly increase employment in forest products industries inCamden County.
Do you know your forest fire pre-
vention A. P. C's? They are:
ALWAYS PE CAREFUL!

Georgia Forestry
JANUARY t a so

Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office, Atlanta, Ga.