Georgia 
 
FORESTRY 
 
USPS No. 21 71 20 Spring, 1992 No. 2 
 
~ Vol .~ 
 
STAFF Howard E. Bennett, Editor William S. Edwards, Asso. Editor Jackie N. Cundiff, Graphic Artist Bob Lazenby, Technical Advisor 
 
Zell Miller, Governor John W. Mixon, Director 
 
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Jim L. Gillis, Jr., Chairman, Soperton 
Felton Denney, Carrollton James Fendig, Savannah Dr. Gloria Shatto, Rome Robert Simpson , Ill , Lakeland 
 
DISTRICT OFFICES 
District One 3086 Martha Berry Hwy.. NE/Rome. GA 30161 
District Two 3005 Atlanta Hwy./Gainesville. GA 30501 
District Three 1055 E. Whitehall Rd./Athens. GA 30605 
District Fo ur 184 Corinth Rd / 'wnan. GA 30263 
District Five 119 Highway 49/Milledgeville, GA 31061 
Di trict Six 1465 Tygnall Rd ./Washin gto n. GA 30671 
District Seven Route 1. Box 23A/Americus. GA 31709 
District Eight Route 3. Box 17/Tifton. GA 31794 
Distri ct Nine P.O . Box 345/Camilla, GA 31730 
District Ten Route 2. Box 28/Statesboro. GA 30458 
District Eleven Route 1. Box 67/H'1'na. GA 3103 7 
District Twelve 5003 jacksonville Hwy./Waycross. GA 31501 
Urban Fo restry 6835 Memorial Drive Stan' Mountain. GA 30083 
Georgia Forestry is published quarterly by the Georgia Forestry Commission, Route 1, Box 181, Dry Branch, GA 31020. Second class postage paid at Macon, GA POSTMASTER; Send address changes to Georgia Forestry Commission, Route 1, Box 181, Dry Branch, GA 31 020. 
2/Georgia Forestry/Spring 1992 
 
FAMILY PROVIDES 
IDEAL SITE FOR 
DEMONSTRATIONS 
Everyone in town and around the county knows james Morgan. He was the Ford Dealer in Swainsboro for 50 years. He writes a weekly column in The Blade and he used his architectural talents to design the First Baptist Church down on West Main Street. 
But townspeople were a bit puzzled when he loaned about 1,200 acres of the family farm and forestland last year to the Georgia Forestry Commission and several other agencies and organizations for some kind of a massive field day to be attended by landowners from across South Georgia. Many locals didn't bother to attend because they didn't know what it was all about. 
Now they know; they will attend this year. When the Commission was searching tor a site for the field day, Ranger Donnie Price immediately suggested the Morgan Farm about 12 miles north of town. Other Commission personnel were called to look over the property and they deemed it an ideal site for the event. When Morgan was approached on lending the land for a day in May, he graciously consented. Morgan admits he didn 't exactly know what to expect, but he knew it would be beneficial to other landowne'rs to spend a day viewin g demonstrations and hearing profess ionals discuss profitable management techniques. After the field day was held last year, Morgan said the main comment he heard around the county was: "I wish I had gone... I heard about it and I'll go this year." Preparations are well underway for the second Land Use and Forest Management Field Day to be held May 1 on the Morgan farm and planners also feel that "word of mouth" about last years successful day will help increase attendance this time. The scenic farm, known as the old Scarboro Place when Morgan bou ght the property in 1956, was largely planted in pine under the Soil Bank Program years ago. Ownership includes Morgan and his wife jean, sons john and Harry, both of Atlanta, and a daughter, Gay, who lives with her husband near Seattle. john, a financial counselor, and Harry, an attorney, visit the farm often and their father said they have taken a keen interest in the field day activities. The family has giventhe Commission permission to hold th e event on the farm for ten years. After this year, the day will be held every other year, alternating with a similar field day near Griffin, principally for North Georgia landowners. Morgan, a native of Mississippi, graduated from Georgia Tech in 1934 with a degree in architecture. He was affiliated for a while with Georgia Power Company, managed his Ford dealership for a half century and owned half interest in thelocal newspaper for several years. He is active in local Rotary Club, the organization that sponsors the annual Emanual County Pine Tree Festival. The 47th annual festival will be in full swing while the field day is bein g held and Morgan said he feels the events comp lement each other and place a renewed emphasis on the importance of the forests here il'l th e midst of the state's great pine belt. 
ON THE COVER- Commission photographer Billy Godfrey cap tured this first hint of 
an early spring in Georgia when he ca me across this dogwoo d. 
 
 SECOND SOUTH GEORGIA FIELD DAY SCHEDULED MAY 1 NEAR SWAINSBORO 
Plans have been completed for the second Land Use and Forest Management Field Day on a large Emanuel County farm and the sponsors are expecting attendance to exceed that of last year now that many additional landowners have heard of the benefits of the special event. 
Sponsored by the Georgia Forestry Commissio n and several other agencies and organizations, the field day to be held May 1 at the James Morgan Farm 12 miles north of Swainsboro, will feature 17 demonstration stations where professional foresters and other natural resource specialists will explain how landowners can better profit from their land and become involved in a meaningful stewardship program. 
Although established mainly for South Georgians, . landowners from across the state are welcome to attend the one-day event, according to Forester Chip Bates of the Forestry Commission's Statesboro District, coordinator for the field day. A similar event is held near Griffin for the northern tier of counties. 
Some of the demonstrations will concern forest mana'gement, estate and tax planning, urban forestry, longleaf pine, naval stores, prescribed burning, pine straw production, wildlife management, pine renovation, herbicides in the woods, soil co nservation practices and natural regeneration . 
Trams will transport visitors from the main parking area to the various demonstration sites; many valuable door prizes donated by industries and businesses will be given throughout the day. 
Admission to the field day, which includes a luncheon, is $8.00 if registration is made on or before April 24 and $1 0.00 if made after that date. For registration or additional information, contact Forester Bates or District Forester Dan Gary at the Commission's Statesboro District office in Statesboro. Phone (912) 764-2311 . 
Scenes of Land Use and Forest Management Field Day held last year on scenic Morgan Farm near Swainsboro. 
 
 FOREST GUARDIAN MANS TOWER IN THE SKY 
 
orest Ranger Ricky Hood can look out the window at [ [ ] his work place on a clear day and see North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and the towers of distant Atlanta. He ca n look down on formations of wild geese winging south in the fall and often watch military bombers droning through the clouds far below. He has known the thermometer to dip to 14 degrees below zero and howling winds to rip apart wind speed instruments. He has seen rain driven horizontally for a great distance and snow storms develop so suddenly under sum mer ski es that astonished touri sts are caught shivering in th eir shirt sleeves. The Forestry Commission employee, who quips that he has " th e highest position in the state," operates the forest tower atop Brasstown Bald Mountain, Georgia's highest peak at 4,784 feet above sea level. Although he has surveyed th e vast landscape from his tower in the sky for 13 years, he said he never ceases to marvel at the beauty of nature's seasonal changes in the surrounding mountain slopes and valleys. 
4/Ceorgia Forestry/Spring 7992 
 
By Howard Bennett 
"You see that first hint of spring far down in the valleys," Hood explained, " and then other trees begin to leaf out on slightly higher elevations and sprin g gradually creaps all the way up to the 
Above: A great expanse of mountain terrain as seen from the tower on a wintry day. Scene below details wooden shingles and stone base of rustic observatin post. 
 
mountain peaks." In the fall, the progression is reversed. " Leaves turn early on the peaks and you can see a daily change as autumn colors slowly move down and take over the valleys," said the tower operator. 
The tower is built above the U. S. Forest Service's Visitor Information Center, a uniquely designed facility that provides an observation plaza and a museum with exhibits that trace the history of the entire Southern Appalacian region. 
Hood, who operated an early warning radar station on a Korean mountain top during a hitch in the Army, worked in a shoe factory in his native Union County and labored for a time as a carpenter's helper before coming with the Commission in 1978 to man the Brasstown Bald Tower under an agreement between the Commission and the U. S. Forest Service. He is in radio and telephone contact with other towers in the area, several county forestry units and U. S. Forest Service personnel when forest smoke or fire is sighted from his lofty vantage point. 
Many of the fires in the remote and uninhabited areas of the mountains are caused by lightning and Hood has the 
 
 ''You could say it's like leaving Georgia and arriving in New Hampshire.'' 
 
advantage of seeing bolts as they flash down and start forest blazes; he can, of course, alert firefighting crews the instant a fire begins. 
When Hood leaves Jack's Gap at the base of Brasstown Bald and drives three miles up the steep, winding road to the tower, he said "You could say it's like leaving Georgia and arriving in New Hampshire!" He explained that the weather at the high altitude is the same as that of New Hampshire and the seasonal changes on the mountain peak coincide with those of that state. "It' similar in other ways, too," he said. "There are several plant species on the mountai n that are uncommon to Georgia, but are native to New Hampshire and other New England states, as well as some Great Lake states and Canada." 
Hood operates the tower from October through May and works with unit personnel during the remaining months w hen vegetation is green and wildfire is not a serious threat. When he returns to the tower in the fall, he said he is always prepared for some harsh winter weather. 
SUB ZERO WEATHER 
The tower operator said "the coldest, the very coldest day spent on that ~ountain was when the temperature h1t 14 below zero and the heating system in the tower struggled all day to finally bring the temperature up to 39 degrees!" During his career as watchman over the forests, he said there has been "only two days when I didn't look out and see visitors and believe 
it. <?r not, even on that c~ld d~y I saw a 
VISitor wandering around." He said it is not unusual for hikers 
~n the Appalachian Trail to make a five-m ile si de journey to stand at Georgi.a's loftiest peak. H The, attractive Visitor Center beneath 
ood s tower was built in 1966 and has attracted sightseers from every 
~tate and at least 50 foreign countries. 
opular attractions in the center's 
 
museum includes a talking model of a forest ran ger relati ng his experien ces on the Chatahoochee National Forest back in th e 1920's and 1930's and a four seasons slide presentation. 
Hood said the slides depict the extreme weather changes that occur and that is what is so unpredictable. " I have seen families picnicing in April at the tables provided by the center when snow seemed to suddenly come out of nowhere, catching girls in summer shorts and halters." 
Dan Kincaid, an assistant Forest Ser- 
Forest Ranger Hood checks his alidade, an instrument that helps pinpoint the location of a forest fire. After quickly determining the site, he immediately alerts firefighters. 
 
vi ce Ranger formerly assigned to the area, once wrote that the lowest temperature ever recorded on the mountain was 27 degrees below zero and snow has fallen every month except July and August. He said winds on the summit have been clocked in excess of 80 miles per hour. 
LIKE ROCKING BOAT 
Hood is well acquainted with the behavior of the vicious winds that buffet his tower. "Wind is something you have to get used to," he said. "Sometime I spend the night in the tower and if a stron g wind is up, trying to sleep in the bunk is like riding in a constantly rocking boat." He said the wooden tower "sways and groans and you have to put a pillow over your head to block out the noise so you 
 
Georgia Forestry/Spring, 1992/5 
 
 The ranger had a lot of time to think about a new home while standing guard over the mountain forests and by enlisting the help of family members and others in the past two years, he was able to complete this fine log home, mainly from materials cut from his own woodlands. 
 
can sleep." Friends often ask the tower operator 
if his work has turned out to be a lonely vigil, a solitary confinement far removed from the companionship of fellow employees. "It's not that way at all," he said. "There is always something going on. If it's not a rash of wildfires or the weather putting on a show, it's a steady stream of visitors milling around the museum and observation deck." 
KEEN OBSERVER 
Some of his observations also concern the wide range of wild animals that have their habitat above the clouds. "I see deer, racoons, wild turkeys, wild dogs and sometime bears will be looking for food around the picnic tables." He said so many bears come around in the fall to eat acorns that the Fish and Game Department has to remove them to protect visitors. 
Hood said buzzards, ravens and crows are seen in the rarified air and it's not uncommon to see an eagle soar across the sky. 
When the tower operator is not checking smokes, watching tourists or enjoying the antics of the animals, he often turns to cross stitching and 
 
admits he is good at it by proclaiming that "''m probably the envy of half the women of Union and Town s Counties." 
The ranger does admit, however, that he prefers summer to winter months. " In the spring dnd summer, especially when the weather is really beautiful," he said, " I begin to imagine all those people down below planting in their gardens, doing yard work, taking care of things around the house or enjoyi ng rec- 
 
reational pursuits while I'm confined to this tower," but he points out t hat his slight envy always begins to wane once the winter winds drive th e population of North Georgia indoors for another harsh season. 
WAITING FOR SUMMER 
When the long winter ends an d the fire season subsides, Hood comes down from the mountain for a few brief weeks of routine duty in the Union County Forestry Unit headquarters near Blairsville. !hat's when he utilized his weekends, annual leave and other free time during the past coup le of years to build a handsome family home on a secluded ridge in his native Appalachians. 
The rustic styled dwelling has wi de floor planks secured with oldfashioned cut nails, exposed log cei ling beams and a fireplace and chimney made of flat stones gathered from nearby creek beds. The ranger cut trees from his land fo r the logs, lumber and roof shingles that went into the construction of the spacious home with four bedrooms and three baths and he sai d much of the tremendous amount of planning and labor involved "was shared by my wife Hilda, son Damon, and daughters Dana and Danette, and anybody else who happened to stop by and wanted to pitch in." 
The dream home Ran ger Ricky Hood envisioned during his many weeks and months and years of isolation at his post in the mountain tower is at last a reality. 
Visitors reach Brasstown Bald b y traveling State Route 75 north fro m Helen for ten miles or State Route 17 south from Hiawassee and turning onto State Route 180, with the final three miles on Spur 180. Th e first stop is a large parking lot with restroom accomodations, a visitor information center and gift shop. From that point, visitors are in for a steep climb for the remaining 200 feet to the summit. A shuttle bus runs daily from May 30 to early November and weekends from midApril to May. The shuttle round trip is $2.00 and there is a $1 .00 parking fee. 
 
6/Georgia Forestry/Spring 1992 
 
 NAME THAT TREE 
 
By Kim Coder 
A tree can have several common names, but only one scientific name for worldwide identification 
 
Tree , like people, have unique and interesting names. Every tree has at least two sets of names. One is the scientific name and one is the common name. Most trees are called by their common name. The large variety of common names and the beautiful scientific names can tell you a lot about a tree. 
Everyone, from 7 to 70-years-old, uses common names for trees. Most trees have different common names in different parts of the country. Many common names describe colors, uses or growth habits of trees. Black, white, red, yellow, shingle, spindle, basket, swamp or water are all used to name 
PITCH PINE (Pinus rigida Mill.) 
many different trees. Just among pines, four different 
trees across the nation are called white pine. There are also three black pines a~d three yellow pines. Four different P~nes are called pitch pine and nut p1ne. 
It's the same for oaks. There are four tree species called red oak four called White oak, five called water oak, six called shin oak, and eight tree species commonly called scrub oak. What one person may call a water oak could mean any of five types of trees. 
Yo~r neighbor may call the same speCies of tree by a completely different name than you. Six trees have the name pignut hickory or yellowWood. Four tree species are all called sandbar willow. Five trees are com- 
 
monly called ironwood or cottonwood. There are many different common names for any tree species. 
But there is only one scientific name for any tree. Scientific names prevent people from confusing different trees. Whether you live in Georgia, Alaska, or France, only one tree species in the world is named Quercus alba. Using these scientific names helps all tree specialists communicate with each other. 
Scientific names can tell a lot about a tree. Longleaf pine's scientific name is Pinus palustris. The scientific name means "pine of the marshes." Longleaf pine has many common names like longleaf yellow pine, southern yellow pine, longstraw pine, hill pine, pitch pine, hard pine and heart pine. 
Shingle oak used to be cut into wooden shingles for buildings. The scientific name for shingle oak is Quercus imbricaria. Quercus means "fine tree." The word imbricaria means "overlapping" like shingles. Here the scientific name and the common name are similar and related. 
Sometimes the common name and scientific name can be confused. Quercus nigra means "black oak" but is commonly called water oak. Black oak is usually considered to be Quercus velutina which means "velvety leaves." 
Painted buckeye's scientific name is Aesculus sylvatica. The two parts of this name mean "fruit bearing tree" and "of the woods." Sugar and silver maple 
BLACK OAK 
 
have similar scientific names: Acer saccharum and Acer saccharinum. The first means "sugar maple" and the second means "sugary maple," Acer barbatum means a bearded maple but is commonly called Florida maple. Acer leucoderme means the whiteskinned maple. 
Poison sumac has several common names including thunderwood, poison dogwood , poison elder and varnish tree. Its scientific name Toxicodendron vernix means "the poison varnish tree." Poison sumac was mistaken in early years for the japanese tree from which we get wood varnish. 
FLORIDA MAPLE (Southern Sugar Maple) 
(Acer barbatum Michx.) 
Common names that everyone can understand are those trees named after Georgia oak, Georgia buckeye, Georgia hackberry, Georgia holly and Georgia-bark tree. For other common names, their origin isn't as apparent. Common names of trees include cat spruce, lemonade tree, whiplash willow, torchwood, shewood punk tree, nakedwood, crucifixion thorn and flamboyant tree. 
You should know the names, both scientific and common, of those trees in your yard or on your land. These names tell something about the tree and its life. Getto know your trees on a first name basis! 
(Kim Coder is a forester with the University of Georgia Extension Service) 
Georgia Forestry/Sprin& 7992/7 
 
 - HOW ROOTS REALLY GROW! - 
 
oots are active opportunistic extensions of the 
[!!] tree that provide support and supply water, oxygen, and nutrients needed to feed the tree and sustain its life. Th e anatomy of a tree consists of approximately 5 percent leaves, 15 percent brandies, 60 percent trunk, 15 percent large transport roots, and 5 percent fine feeder roots. Roots can range in size from over a foot in diameter to less than .008 inch. 
The woody transport roots increase regularly in diameter, and even display annual rings. It is this increase in size that swells the base of trees, raises the earth around them, and lifts sidewal ks. 
Th e Root Collar is usually at or near the groundline and is identifiable as a \ marked swell ing of the tree trunk. 
- 
-: :- :  .::;;.':'~ ~ . -..y :- .,~ . . : : ' ..:: 
/ 
Because Roots Need Oxygen in order to grow, they don't normally grow in the compacted, oxygen-poor soils under paved streets. Note: A few species have a Taproot that grows straight down three to seven feet or more until they encounter impenetrable soil or rock layers, or reach layers with insufficient supplies of oxygen. 
(Courtesy of National Arbor Day Foundation). 8/Georgia Forestry/Spring 1992 
 
Roots can be damaged in a number of ways. Extremes of heat and cold, drying, and frost heaving in the 
upper layers of soil can kill many of the delicate, nonwoody feeder roots. Foraging by nematodes and other soil creatures, as well as digging by humans, take t heir toll on roots. New roots form rapidly after injuries, but 
there is a limit to how much root mortality a tree can withstand. The severing of even a few major transport 
roots quickly reduces the total system. Roots will also die when oxygen supplies are cut off by soil compaction, floodin g, or construction of large, impervious pavem ent areas on the ground surfa ce. 
 
The Framework of major roots usually lies less than eight to twelve inches below the surface and often grows outward to a diameter one to two times the height of the tree. 
 
A complex netwo rk of smaller nonwoody Feeder Roots 
grow outward and upward from th e framework roots. These smaller roots branch four or more times to form fan s or mats of thousan ds of fine, short, non- 
woody roots. Th ese slender roots, with their tiny root hairs, provide the major portion of the absorption surface o f a tree's root system. They compete direc- 
j tly with the roots of 
grass and other groundcovers. 
 
Between four and eleven Major Woody Roots originate from the root collar and grow horizontally through the soil. These major roots branch and taper over a distance of three to fifteen feet from the trunk to form an extensive framework of long, rope-like roots which are 1f4 to one inch in diameter: These are important structural roots, supporting the tree against wind, etc. 
 
 ROOTS ARE ENGINEERING MARVELS 
 
Few people ever appreciate how trees make a living and survive. Tree roots are especially hidden from our eyes and our understanding. 
Tree roots are very active and  must colonize large amounts of soil. Like the early pioneers, they move into an area workin g their way into the landscape. Tree roots continuously push out and then decline and are sealed off. How do tree roots colonize so much soil? How can roots push their way through the soil? 
Tree roots are engineering marvels. Try to push your finger into the soil. Drive a stake into the soil. It takes a lot of energy to move the soil aside. How do roots grow so effectively? 
To help the root move through the soil, tree root tips generate four essential items: pressure, lubrication, disposable root caps and spiral growth. 
Roots push through the soil by dividing off new cells and then pumping them up with water. As each cell is expanded, the fibers in the cell walls are reoriented and shifted. These fibers are eventually cemented into place and expansion stops in the older cells. Then new cells split off and they take their turn expanding. 
Roots canexert as much as 15 to 20 atmospheres of pressure. That is equivalent to water pressure 500 feet under the ocean. Hydraulic expansion of the cells pushes the root tip past soil particles. The root follows cracks in the soil or it moves soil out of the way. 
It takes great control to keep a root growing relatively straight and horizontal when the fibers in the cell walls keep the root tip veering off to one side. The root tip has a 
 
self-regulating guidance system, like a missile, that keeps the root on track once it is set. 
The tree does not use all the pressure it is capable of producing. Roots use just enough hydraulic pressure to squeeze by. The more pressure they need to grow, the more food they require . Trees are always trying to conserve food. 
To ease growth through the soil, tree root tips exude a slick, slimy substance called mucigel. This material helps lubricate root elongation and is a great food source for soil organisms. Beneficial or pathogenic fung infection can be initiated by fungi sensing mucigel. 
Another aid to roots in moving through the soil is a disposable root cap. This cap protects the tender parts of the root tip. The root cap slowly erodes or wears away as the root moves through the soil. 
What happens when the root hits something hard? The rootfirsttries to grow around the blocking object. This isn't planned, it's just part of normal growth. Root tips do not grow ina straight line. The resulting root may be straight as an arrow but the root tip spirals - not twisting or spinning, but spiraling to turn past a blocking object. 
A new tree root moves through the soi l lubricated by mucigel, protected by a disposable root cap, spiralling, using just enough pressure to get by. Tree roots colonize large amounts of soil using these age-old techniques. In caring for trees, people need to understand how a tree makes a living. 
(By Kim Coder, a forester with the University of Georgia Extension Service). 
 
Georgia Forestry/Spring, 1992/9 
 
 The recession slowed some sales during the Christmas season, but Georgia's Christmas tree growers aren't looking back; springtime is planning time for the next one ... and there's hope for a bright economic future. 
 
CHRISTMAS IS ALWAYS COMING 
 
Now that Georgia's hundreds of Christmas tree growers have had time to fully analyze their annual December sales in a recession year and begin planning for the next season, what is the economic outlook for this industry that has grown steadily in recent years? 
Bob Williams of Kennesaw, president of the Georgia Christmas Tree Growers Association, said an attempt will be made to find an answer to the question when members gather in Valdosta March 28 for their annual meeting. 
Williams, who owns a tree farm in Cherokee County, said volume and price held up well for him on tree sales despite the recession, but wreaths and other hand made decorations, which represent about half of his business, were off about five percent. 
Williams said he realizes many growers experienced sluggish tree sales and believes practically everybody in the business is cutting expenses in an attempt to ride out the recession. 
Bill Parker of Parker Brothers Farm near Baxley reported a 20 percent dip in sales over the previous season. Parker and his brother Lewis are major pecan growers and shippers and they said an excellent nut crop during the recent season offset the loss in christmas tree sales. Although trees shipped in from the Northern states continue to cut local sales, Bill Parker said Georgia growers who produce and sell an inferior tree are seriously damaging the industry's reputation. 
10/Georgia Forestry/Spring 1992 
 
"When trees are sheared too late and needles shed in peoples' homes, it makes everybody in the industry look bad." Parker said. 
The Parker brothers, sons of the late State Senator Bill Parker, Sr. of Appling County, are relatively new in the business but have already established a farm of approximately 10,000 trees. They attribute much of their success to the association and its informative seminars. 
Meanwhile, Don Watson of the Sandy Creek Christmas Tree Farm near Macon, now one of the state's largest, said the past season "showed that the Georgia market is shifting away from the out-of-state and Canadian cold storage trees to those that are grown locally". He said, "We are seeing more and more buyers having the family experience of coming out to the farm to choose and cut a tree that is much fresher and better priced than those harvested several weeks before Christmas and shipped into the state. " 
Watson and his brother Doyle, his business partner, reported that their wholesale tree sales were down and retail sales lots showed a definite decline over the previous season , but they experienced a good increase in their choose-and-cut operation. 
A survey conducted by researchers at the University of Georgia revealed that Georgians bought more than 250,000 real Christmas trees in 1990 and 1991. The study, conducted over the past two years, asked buyers at choose-and-cut tree farms in the 
 
metro Atlanta what factors they consider when choosing a tree. 
It was found that the typical consumer buys a natural tree because it is traditional and makes Christmas special. The study showed that the pine scent of a real tree was very influen cial and price is important, as real tree s are less expensive than artificial trees, at least in the short run. 
The researchers, Orville Lindstrom and Wojciech Florkowski found that age and gender deter some potent ial buyers, however, from choosing a real Christmas tree. Older buyers and females are more likely to feel that natural trees are more difficult to handle and transport than artificial trees. 
The UGA researchers also fou nd that persons with less than a postgraduate education, especially those who strongly agree that the natu ral trees are more traditional, prefer t he real tree to the artificial one. Buyers, however, who have the belief th at natural trees should be allowed to grow to protect the environment are more likely to buy an artificial tree. 
Tree grower Watson said the beli ef that the harvesting of commerci al ly grown Christmas trees someh ow harms the environment is "j ust another little hindrance in our industry." He said one visit to his farm wou ld convince anyone that the trees are grown as a renewable crop, and there are always trees in various stages of growth regardless of the ann ual harvest. 
Cooper's Christmas Trees, a 2,000 (continued on page 17) 
 
 nnie Scarbrough was a flight attendant for Eastern Air Lines !or almo~t 20 ~e.ars, flying into most maJor Amencan crt1es and several world capitals. Today she is content to grow and sell Christmas trees on a small farm down in Grady County. Scarbrough .said she had no trouble in adjusting from flyi ng the skies of the world to the down-toearth business of growing Christmas trees, although the less glamourous occupation requires hard work around the year. Last Christmas was her third season of selling Virginia pine and red cedar on the farm north of Whigham and she said "it was my best year, I sold 660 trees." Although Scarbrough described her location as "remote," she said families flocked out to Annie's Christmas Trees to choose-and-cut their trees and pay the regular price. The grower said she is not yet in the wholesale end of the business, a sales area in which many farms experienced a decline last season. 
FRIEND'S SUGGESTION 
Scarbrough and her husband Marvin, who is retired from the military and now a rural mail carrier, moved to the farm in 1974, but they were on the place for ten years before she came up with the Christmas tree idea. "Actually," she said, " a friend first suggested it when she came to visit me from Atlanta and told how expensive the trees were in the city." That's when she said she decided a field across the street from her home that was "just growing up in weeds" should be growing Christmas trees. 
Her first planting was 500 trees. They all died. She joi ned the Georgia Christmas Tree Growers Association, attended its seminars and meetings, and said she was better prepared the second year when she again planted 500 trees that survived. She now plants about 1,000 trees each year and said "people tell me I have the prettiest trees they have ever seen." 
Scarbrough does practically all the work involved in the venture and it is not unusual for neigh bors driving by to see her in the field with a motorized trimmer strapped to her shoulder as she works along the rows of trees. 
PREFERS HER WORK 
The t ree grower said she got "a little help" from her daughter Susie, who was recently married, but "Susie would rather help sell the trees than help trim the trees." She said she once rode with her husband on his 127-mile mail route, but even with all the necessary trimming, spraying, fertilizing and other endless tasks associated with tree growing, she prefers her work to his. 
Scarbrough said she is grateful to Chief Forest Ranger Elaine Insley of the Forestry Commission's ~rady County Unit for all the assistance given her ~n controlling insects, improving survivability and m other areas. "I can always depend on Elaine and 
 
FORMER AIRLINE HOSTESS CONVERTS FIELD "GROWING UP IN WEEDS" INTO PICTURESQUE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM 
her personnel," she said, "They help me in many ways." 
Scarbrough admits that she has known periods of discouragement in her labor-intensive enterprise, but always manages to snap out of those moods and get back out in th e field of trees. She considers her ten acres of trees a hobby and said "there's not much money in this business," but after only three years of marketing her trees, she said she has paid off all the bills on her tractor, trimmer, sprayer, shaker and bagger. 
Not bad for a former airline hostess who started only with a field of weeds. 
Georgia Forestry/Spring, 1992/11 
 
 MISS GEORGIA FORESTRY 
 
[ffi elinda Denise Parker, representing Richmond County, and her mother left their Augusta home to attend the annual Miss Georgia Forestry Pageant in Macon "with the idea of just having a good time and not even thinking about winning anything," according to the contestant. 
She did win, however, and the 21year-old Augusta College student now wears the Miss Georgia Forestry crown. 
Her first official function was to ride the Forestry Commission's float down 
 
Macon's downtown streets the next day in the city's annual Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. She will tour Commis- 
 
sian faci lities and several industri es this spring to better understand forestry's important role in the state and then represent forestry interests in fairs, festivals, conventions, parades 
and other events during her reign. First runner-up in the 52nd an nual 
pageant was Kristie Lynn harmon , 17, of Conyers, representing Newton and Rockdale Counties. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Harmon. 
Second runner-up honors went to Julie Lynn Slaton, 18, of Dawsonville, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Slaton. She represented Dawson County. Alana Eunice, 18, of Statesboro, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Eunice, was third runner-up and represented Bulloch County. 
The new Miss Georgia Forestry, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Do nald Parker, is a junior at Augusta College and her ambition is to be a broad cast journalist. She will begin serving as an intern this summer at TV Channel1 2 in her hometown and has had previ ous television experience as a member of a fashion board. 
The student listens to classi cal music and reads Shakespeare, but said she also likes pop music and jazz an d some modern novels. "I also enjoy cooking, but it's hard to find the time" said Melinda, who is a full time coll ege student with a parttime job selling cos- 
 
Pageant winner shows one ofher many crowded scrapbooks to Chief Ranger W.}. Townsend of the Commission's Richmond County Forestry Unit. 
12/Georgia Forestry/Spring 1992 
 
 metics at a local departr:nent store. Keeping scrapbooks 1s one of her 
hobbies and she has a cedar ch~st filled with several large books conta~n ing photographs, newspaper clippin gs, programs and other ~atenal collected over the years. She 1s a staff writer for the BeHringer, the college newspaper, and a member of the school's Spanish Club. 
Melinda is a volunteer at a local convalescent ce nter where her 100-yearold grand mother and other elderly persons res ide and.she enjoys work~ng with child ren. She IS currently learnmg sign language. 
The new MissGeorgia Forestry, who was crowned by Kecia Strickland of Waycross, the retiring queen, is a golf enth usiast and attends the annual Masters Tournament that has made Augu sta wo rld famous . 
The pageant, held this year in Macon for the first time, originated 52 yearsago in Ware County and the winner in that initial contest, Mrs. Robert Hicks of Cordele (Miss judy Wester of Abeville when crowned in 1940) was a special guest. 
Melinda leaves home for another day of college classes. She combines school work with parttime sales work. 
 
jim Gillis of Soperton, president of the American Turpentine Farmers Association, congratulates the new Miss Gum Spirits, Sophie Hiers of Valdosta, left. At right is }ani Dwozen of Milan, the retiring queen. 
VALDOSTA COLLEGE STUDENT NAMED 
MISS GUM SPIRITS OF TURPENTINE 
Sophie Hiers, 21-year-old daughter of Gerald and Martha Hiers of valdosta, won the title of Miss Gum Spirits ofTurpentine atthe annual Miss Georgia Forestry Pageant held in Macon. She was selected from contestants representing Georgia's naval stores producing counties. 
As Miss Gum Spirits of Turpentine, she will represent the state's turpentine industry for one year. Promotional activities will include having her photograph featured on the American Turpentine Farmers calendar. 
"I am very excited about winning the title and being representative," Sophie said. "Since my family owns a thousand acres of pine timber, I am especially interested in learning all I can about the turpentine industry." 
A senior at Valdosta State College with a premedical major, she plans to transfer to medical school and specialize in cardiology. She said her interest in becoming a medical doctor goes back to childhood. 
A graduate of Lowndes County High School , Sophie has participated in numerous school activities. Her college honors include second runner-up in the Miss Valdosta State contest and winner of the interview segment of that competition. She is a member of the Blazin' Brigade Danceline, Batgirl for Blazers, and Kappa Delta. 
Sophie's special interests and hobbies include dancing, swimming, singing, writing poetry, participating in pageants, and spending time with her family and dogs. 
She was crowned by joni Dwozen of Milan, the outgoing Miss Gum Spirits. 
Georgia Forestry/Spring, 1992/13 
 
 LAURENS COUNTY FORESTRY UNIT 
 
Chief Forest Ranger Senior Joe Dixon of the Laurens County Forestry Unit has the responsibility of guardin g 385,000 acres of forests against fire, insects and disease, but he said he has "a lot of very good help" in carrying out his duties. 
The help he refers to includes four rangers and a tower operator, as well as the volunteers who operate the 13 Rural Fire Defense units and the many citizens across the county who are cautious with fire and alert Dixon's firefighters whenever wildfire is spotted. 
Dixon is a native of Wheeler County, but his family moved during his youth to Montgomery County, where he graduated from high school. He came with the Forestry Commission as a patrolman in the Wheeler County Unit in 1973 and was later transferred to Laurens County. He was named ranger of that county in 1985 -a position that was recently reclassified as chief ranger senior. 
BETW EEN FIRES 
Although four crawler tractor-transport units are ready to roll out of the shed at the unit headquarters in Dublin whenever fire strikes in the county, the chief ranger said "fires are 
 
ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF STORIES ON OUTSTANDING COUNTY FORESTRY UNITS 
our main reason for existing as a forestry unit, but we have plenty to do between fires. We work with landowners who buy and plant seedlings in the fall and winter, gather cones and sePd for our nurseries, present forestryrelated educational programs in the public schools of our county, promote Arbor Day and Earth Day activities and engage in many other projects." 
The St. Patrick's Day celebration in Dublin has grown into a major annual event in Georgia and Dixon said his unit's float in the parade every year gives us a "good opportunity to spotlight the value of forestry before thousands of viewers." He also said the unit's promotion of programs and tree planting ceremonies at schools on Arbor Day instills "a greater appreciation of trees in children who will grow up to know the true value of our forests." 
The chief ranger is a member of the Laurens County Young Farmers Association, Dublin Clean Committee and 
 
the Soil Stewardship Committee. He works closely with Future Farmers of America projects in the Lauren s County schools. The schools have an active FFA forestry program. 
The Laurens Unit and units in Dodge and Bleckley Counties sponsor the TriCounty Forestry Field Day each year, with each unit playing host on a rotating basis. The Laurens Unit also participates in the annual Recycling Fair in Dublin and the Georgia Farm Bureau Farm Day. 
Chief Ranger Dixon and his w ife Donna have two young chi ldren, Ted and Katie. The family lives in rural Laurens County and they are members of Alamo United Methodist Church. 
RANGER LORI MERTZ 
Ranger Lori Mertz grew up in an Air Force family and lived in several places before moving to Georgia, where sh e attended Fort Valley State College an d earned a degree in animal health. 
Mertz, who was born in Kansas an d lived in Illinois and other states be fore her father was transferred to Robin s Ai r Force Base, worked for more than two years with a Dublin veterinarian before deciding that she wanted to work outdoors. She came with the Commission in 1985 and quickly learned to operate 
 
14/Georgia Forestry/Spring 1992 
 
 the crawler tractor used in plowing firebreaks to subdue wildfires. 
She has flown out west to help fight the big fires on three occasion s and is beli eved to have been the first Georgia fem ale fire fighter to participate in those emergencies. "The men treated me just the same as they did others on the fire line," she said, "and that's the way 1 wante d it." She served as crew chief during her third tour out west. 
Ranger Mertz lives just outside Dublin city limit and enjoys gardening and cross stitching; although she has switched careers, she still has a love for anim als. Three dogs and a cat have foun d a good home with her. 
RANGER MONTE GARREn 
Ran ger Monte Garrett worked for 17 years in a texti le mill, with a lot of that time on the "graveyard shift." He said he grew pretty tired of going to work at midn ight and when he finally decided to leave that employment he learned that there was an opening at the Laurens County Forestry Unit. 
Garrett knew something about farm tractors and other machinery, but he had never operated a crawler tractor. The unit's newcomer (he came with the Com mission in 1990) soon learned, however, to handle heavy equipment and is now an experienced firefighte r. 
The ranger is a native of Washington County, but his family moved to Laurens County during his early years. He is a graduate of East Laurens High Schoo l. . Garrett said he enjoys " working out m the open" and is glad he left his former job, which was very confining. He sai d he soon learned that work with the un it was "much more than fighting forest fires." He referred to seedling sales, special educational events, scho?l programs and other projects that mvolve the unit. 
The ranger and his wife Beverly have four young children. They are members of Central Drive Baptist Church. 
RANGER FRANKLIN STINSON 
Ran ger Franklin Stinson wasn't a Welder, carpenter, painter, plumber and el ectrician when he came with the 
~auren s unit eleven years ago, but he 
1s now! 
h The ranger said he soon learned that e had to work in all those buildin g 
 
From top to bottom: Chief Forest Ranger Senior joe Dixon, Ranger Lori Mertz and Ranger Monte Garrett are engaged in routine tasks that are necessary to keep the Laurens Unit operating efficiently. 
Georgia Forestry/Spring, 7992/15 
 
 Forest Ranger Franklin Stinson 11 We have some good, hard working people in our district and it has been a very tough decision in deciding which county unit best deserves the Outstanding Unit honor, but I feel the crew in Laurens County has earned this recognition. They are dedicated men and women who keep equipment and other property in top shape, work well with forest landowners and others throughout the county and are top performers in all the tasks they are called upon to do." 
Grady Williams, McRae District Forester 
Forest Ranger Clayton Willis 76/Ceorgia Forestry/Spring 7992 
 
trades to be a part of the unit's crew and he is grateful for the experien ce. When Stinson and his co-workers are not out on the fire line or plqwing presuppression breaks, there is usually construction or maintenance wo rk going on around the unit headquarters. 
The ranger said he grew up on a farm and has been around machinery all his life and had no trouble adjusting to Commission equipment. He operated a heavy forklift for four years at the J. P. Stevens Company in Dublin before coming with the Laurens Unit. 
Stinson, a native of Laurens County and a graduate of the local high school, fought fires in Oregon, Idaho, Mo ntana and Colorado during his three trips out West, and said it was an excellent learning experience but he is glad "we fight fires here in Georgia wi th plows instead of working with hand tools as they have to do on those steep mountain ranges." 
Ranger Stinson and his wife Teresa have two children. They live on a sm all farm 12 miles from Dublin. 
RANGER CLAYTON WILLIS 
Ranger Clayton Willis grew up on a Laurens County farm and his experience in maintaining and operatin g agricultural machinery was an asset when he came with the county un it the winter of 1990. He readily adjusted to operating the heavy equipment used in forest fire fighting.  After graduating from West Laurens County High School, Willis worked for eight years with a Dublin electronics company, but when a position cam e open in the unit he decided ajob in th e outdoors and an opportunity to wo rk with forest landowners throughout t he area would be more desirable. 
Ranger Willis said he considers th e programs the unit presents in th e school system a very important fun ction, as the youth of today will be tomorrow's landowners. Early training in the true value of Lauren s County's forests will greatly influence the next generation, he said . 
Willis said he enjoys working with landowners and appreciates th eir cooperation in helping the unit mai ntain a good fire detection and suppression record. 
The ranger and his wife Karen have two young children, Jon David an d Rachael. The family attends Ro ck Springs Baptist Church. 
 
 TOWER OPERATOR VEAL 
 
Mel ba Veal, a grandmother who 
 
keeps a sharp eye on the forests of 
 
Lauren s County from a 100-foot fire 
 
tower, said she doesn't mind climbing 
 
the 132 steps to her observation post. 
 
" I have always been kind of a tom- 
 
boy," she said, "and climbin g seems to 
 
fit my lifestyle." 
 
Veal, a native of Wilkin son County, 
 
said she thoroughly enjoys her work as 
 
tower operator and has been fright- 
 
ened only one time sin ce com ing with 
 
the Commissio n full time in 1980. " It 
 
was on a day when we were having 
 
high winds that were kicking up a dust 
 
torm," she said. " Vi sibility was so 
 
poor I could n't see a quarter of a mile ~nd th e towe r was ro cking and clatter- 
 
Ing like it was havin g a chill. " 
 
Most of her days in the tower that 
 
looms above the unit headquarters are 
 
plea ant, she said "and the view is spectacular w hen t'h e weather is fair." 
 
On a very clear day, Veal said she can 
 
ee across northern Laurens County. 
 
h Veal has two married daughters and 
 
er hobbies include yard work and 
 
ent~rtaining 
~he 1s a mem 
 
her ber o 
 
five f the 
 
grand Ladi es 
 
children . Au xilary , 
 
FWh, and Pinehill Un ited Methodist C urch. 
 
A ! . CHRISTMAS IS ALWAYS COMING 
 
 
 
(continued from page 10) 
 
acre farm tended by John S. Cooper and his wife, experienced about a 20 percent decline in sales during the past season, but they sold wreaths for the first time and turned some profit from those items. Mrs. Cooper said their operation is on a choose-and-cut basis at their Flowery Branch farm in Hall County and they have not ventured into the wholesale end of the business. 
Ben Purcell of Purcell Tree Farm two miles north of Clarkesville in Habrsham County said his tree sales "were off 20 percent or better during the past Christmas season." The grower went into the business in 1976 just as another tree farm was being phased out, leaving him as the only Christmas tree producer in the county for a while, but now there are four others. 
Purcell said he doesn't feel there is too much competition at the present time. He said some chain stores in the area have been selling trees that are shipped in during the past two seasons and "that cuts into our sales, but that's a part of the free enterprise system." 
Purcell is currently growing about 15,000 trees and said he offers many 
 
11 and 12 foot trees, sizes not commonly found at most farms but in demand by homeowners who have vaulted ceilings and others. 
The grower said he doesn't do any advertising, but depends on many loyal customers who return year after year. "One man bought a tree from me 13 years in a row," Purcell said. "I told him the next year his tree would be free and he came back the next year with four new customers for me. That's how I do business." 
Bud Huggins of Route 1, Calhoun, one of the three growers in Floyd County, said he cut his price to $2.50 per foot duringthe Christmas season in order to move his trees during the hard economic times and wound up giving away about 25 trees to families that couldn't afford to buy. He said he tried to sell some of his Virginia pine to wholesalers but couldn't find a taker. 
Huggins, who has about 7,000 trees in the ground and will have at least 1,000 ready for sale next Christmas, said his main competition continues to be stores in the area that buy out-ofstate trees by the truckloads. 
All growers who were interviewed by GEORGIA FORESTRY were optimistic about the future and most believe the economy will improve in time to bring about better sales for the 1992 Christmas season.D 
 
The 73th Annual Earth Day Savannah will be observed April 78 with emphasis on organizing citizen action groups for neighborhood clean-ups and increasing public concern on meeting solid waste challenges. The above photo is a scene from the celebration last year. Sponsored by KSB (Keep Savannah Beautiful), the traditional event will be held in Forsyth Park in the Historic District. The festival-like activities will include entertainment, speakers, booths and displays. A parade will feature "Clean Bean and Clean Gene " costumed mascots of KSB and " All Species Parade" will include children dressed as various plant species. 
Georgia Forestry/Spring, 7992/17 
 
 "The objective is to establish natural looking wooded areas rather than an artificial, manicured forest appearance." 
REFORESTATION ENHANCES FACTORY SHOALS 
 
[Q onfronted with the urban sprawl of Atlanta and surrounding population growth, Newton County's heavily forested Factory Shoals Recreation 
Park seems destined to become a wooded oasis and historical treasure of sorts for future generations. 
Since the land was donated to Newton County by Georgia Power Company in 1882, almost as much effort has been devoted to reforestation as cultivating a recreational area at this historical site. Park Director Michael Beyer, who assumed his duties in 1983, attended the University of Georgia School of Forestry and worked with the U. S. Forest Service for six years as a compliance officer. Typical of Beyer's reforestation was the planting of 1,500 pines and 2,000 hardwoods five years ago. Similar plantings are done annually using a variety of tree species including pine, dogwood, oak, red maple, silver maple and green ash. 
"Trees compatible with the environment are planted ," Beyer said. "We get all our trees from Ranger Beryll Budd's Commission office in Covington." 
The park, located on low lying hollows of the Alcovy River, is naturally receptive to oak and hickory, which Beyer believes would be the dominant species if a climax forest evolved over the next hundred years. 
"That's one reason we're planting a lot of hardwoods," Beyer said . 'Th e objective is to establish natural looking wooded areas rather than an artificial, manicured forest appearance. In some cases, Beyer said he has tried to skip a step in old field succession and attempt to cultivate an area completely in hardwoods - "instead of going from bare to pine to hardwood ." 
Recreational activities in tf:lis scenic forest include fishing, camping, horseback riding, bicycling and plenty of room for people who just want to get away from it all and wander around in the woods. The Alcovy River, which runs over a half mile of shoals and into Lake Jackson at one end of the park, 
78/Georgia Forestry/Spring 7992 
 
Park Director Michael Beyer 
offers good fishing at certain times of the year. Popular species include crappie, hybrid bream and hybrid bass. 
Factory Shoals Park is a prime example of cultivating a forest back to its natural state. Until 1940, most of the Flat Shoals area was cotton fields. As cotton farming began to diminish, trees retu rned by old field succession. Beyer points out that many of the old field succession areas have not done as well as planted tracts because natural thinning was not concentrated enough. Planted areas, however, are developing into impressive sta nds. 
Beyer said some large tracts of pine were planted after beetle damage forced the areas to be clear cut. He said one 80 acre area clearcut in 1984 was replanted with 55 ,000 loblolly pines. ."This is turning into a beautiful stand," Beyer said. "These pines are 20 to 25 feet tall ." 
Most plantings, however, have averaged 25 percent pine and 75 per- 
 
cent hardwoods. He said these stan ds are doing well- "especially when co mpared with some old fi eld success ion growth having 38 year old trees only si x inches in diameter." 
Prior to clearing the land for cotton farming, trees were abundant. This was Indian country. For centuries, vario us tribes hunted along the hardwood river banks. " This is the environment we're trying to bring back," Beyer sai d, "the same tree species that were abu ndant here when the Creek Indians hunted these woods in the 1700s." 
The Creeks were the last native Americans to hunt these hardwood forests. White settlers and exploitation of th e fur trade pushed the Creeks o ut in search of better hunting grounds. By 1835, they had relinquished all clai ms to Georgia soil. It is unknown how many tribes hunted these river ban ks through the centuries, but on e archeological dig revealed that a village of Paleo Indians occupied th e area in 10,000 B. C. 
Further archaeological investigations have discovered nine signi fi cant sites, including the remains of five mills that operated before the Civil War as part of antebellum Georgia's first attempt to industrialize. There w as a grist mill and two cotton mills in a community called Newton Facto ry. One of th e mill s eve ntually manufactured wool for Confederate uniform s. 
"Factory Shoals is proving to be a very valu able histori cal site as well as a popular recreation area. Breyer sai d. "From 1914 to 1982, this was an unsupervised area; a place to com e 
and camp out, drink your beer, and shoot your gun. So it's not hard to imagine the trash strowing and abuse it suffered ." 
Today, Beyer points out, visito rs respect the park as their personal recreational area and generally take ve ry good care of it. Many visitors are as protective of the area as Beyer. Th e result is very little trash and a mu ch appreciated historic and recreation al area that is being returned to its natural 
(continued on page 23) 
 
 - 
 
TIMBER TAX WORKSHOP SCHEDULED 
 
APRILf 22t.mb~!x w~k~LL~!!~!ion ~~~ffi~O~~~~~ 
 
A 
 
Pre-coben 
 
erence I h ld April 
 
22 
 
at 
 
Calloway 
 
tax 
 
h works op 
 
or 
 
For~st 
 
F armers 
 
A sso- 
 
GcsohanorJdp.uew~niclsl_~m.10 
 
~pmAeewMithoaul 
 
nFtaoirnes' Gt eoFragrima'eirns Meeting 
 
dation's Farmers 
 
AAnsnsuoaolaMt1eoent'1sngo. cff.o1cnetacatt 
 
FoBreosxt 
 
95385 Atlanta, Georgia 30347 or phone 
 
AsDsoroaHtalornrys LnnuHaney Jr. forest 404/3l5-2954. 
 
~~~inian.omist and professor of forestry at 
UniversiPtyo,lwytiellcchonnic~uIncstttithueteseasns?1oSntafoter 
 
H-A-R-D- W-OO-D- -R-E-SE-A-R-CH- 
 
ANNUAL MEET PLANNED thhoowsetoddeseivrienlgopana tmim-dbeepr t~haxsstutrdaytegoyf 
 
plan. Following are top1cs to be 
 
covered: Review of basic provisions of ~he 
Federal Income Tax Code th~t a~ect t1 mberland owners and the1r 1ncome; recent changes in the tax code. ~ourt rulings, new regulati_ons and administra- 
tive rulings; how 1ncome tax affects your tim ber management anci lnv~s t 
ment decisions - the bottom lme; interaction of income and estate laws; 
and how to mold the above into a 
consistent strategy for meeting your timber management goal. 
 
The Future of Multiple Use in Eastern Hardwood Forests is the theme of the 20th Annual Symposium of the Hardwood Research Council to be held June 1-3 at High Hampton Inn near Cashiers, North Carolina. 
For the past 19 years, the council, now an activity of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, has sponsored the meetings. They provide a forum for discussion of current research findings concerning the condition and use of the hardwood forest resource. 
 
FORESTERS PARTICIPATE IN HIGHWAY 60 PROJECT 
The U. S. Forest Service station at Blue Ridge recently became the 2,000th 
 
Registration fee for the symposium is $95 for members, $130 for nonmembers. 
For further information, call the Hardwood Research Council at (901) 377-1824. 
 
group to join the Adopt-A-Highway pro- 
FIRE EQUIPMENT SHOW gram, according to the Georgia Depart- 
ment of Transportation. 
 
PLANNED AT COLISEUM A DOT spokesman said Forest Service 
personnel adopted a section of 
 
State Route 60 in Fannin County and ~gan rickin g up litter along the roarl.;irle in March. 
"W e are exciterl about the opportunity to work toward a litter-free environment in Georgia," said Stephen Bailey, district ranger, "This activity is part of the Forest Service's effort to be a good neighbor and a cooperative part of the community." 
 
The Commission-sponsored 8th Biennial Fire Equipment Show is scheduled for May 13 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Macon Coliseum. 
Some 25 vendors from throughout the Southeastern United States will display the latest firefighting equipment that may be purchased or ordered on site. Demonstrations of firefighting techniques and equipment 
 
FOREST SCHOOL PLANS 
REUNION AT STARKSVILLE 
A reunion of all alumni of the School of Forest Resources at Mississippi State University, including departments of forestry, wildlife and fisheries and forest products, is scheduled for May 1-2 on campu s at Starksville. 
For additional information, contact Shirley Thompson at the School of Forest Resources (601) 325-2952. 
 
are scheduled throughout the show and door prizes will be given. 
The ali-day event traditionally attracts large numbers of firefighters from all sections of Georgia, as well as numerous state and county officials. 
Commission records show that previous Fire Equipment Shows also attracted many spectators from the general public. Commissi<?n officials said ticket prices are $5.50 1n advance and $6.50 at the door. Advanced tickets may be purchased at any Commission office. 
 
THE BOOK CORNER 
TREES OF GEORGIA AND ADJACENT STATES, BY Claud L. Brown and L. Katherine Kirkman. Timber Press, Inc., 9999 SW Wilshire, Portland, Oregon 97225. $34.95. 
Georgia's diverse climate and topography has spawned a similar richness in tree species. Authors Claud Brown and Katherine Kirkman have taken advantage of this diversity to create an exceptionally comprehensive 292-page book detailing 205 species. Dr. Brown  is Alumni Foundation Professor of Forest Resources, Emeritus at the University of Georgia, and author of 125 scientific publications. Kirkman is a plant ecologist and taxonomist with 10 years experience as a consultant. 
No ivory tower academic product, this volume is the result of the authors having roamed the woodlands of Georgia for three years to photograph all spe~ies in th~ir native habitats. Ass1sted by B1ll Lott, manager of the Georgia State Arboretum, their excursion ranged from the North . Georgia mountains to snakeinfested coastal swamps. 435 color photos include bark, leaves, flowers and fruit with botanical keys for summer and winter. 
Patterned editorially after dendrology texts, this excellent account of tree life offers coded maps referring to each species. Trees included represent nearly one-third of all species native to the United States. 
For generations to come, TREES OF GEORGIA AND ADJACENT STATES should be a welcome addition to the nature section of any library. 
Georgia Forestry/Spring, 1992/19 
 
 At left: jim Rozelle concentrates during initial stages of working with wood that will be com pleted when object is shaped into an art form. Below, the artist steadies a heavy drill to make the first bore to hollow out the wood. When Rozelle first began th is rare form of woodturning 20 years ago, none of the speciali:zed tools were available in the U. S. He ordered his first set of chisels from England and custom made others as he progressed. Sandra Davis, below president of the Arts Connections Gallery in Atlanta, displays two of Rozelle's finished works. Rozelle's prices currently range fro m $100 to $1,600. 
20/Georgia Forestry/Spring 1992 
 
 Woodturner's appreciation of wood harks back to the days when apple crates in his parents' country store were made of wood, the days when rural folk identified wood with motives. Oak, hickory and ash for firewood, white pine for lumber, locust and cedar for fencing. 
 
WOODCRAFT EMERGING AS ART FORM 
 
By Bill Edwards 
 
Gallery Pieces Bringing Thousands Of Dollars 
 
hen Jim Roze ll e settles into the cultivated isolati on of hi s Marietta workshop and braces a bi g steel-tipped chisel agai nst a sp inn ing log, he relies on 20 years of apprenticeship to shape an art form only recently recogn ized as art- but already brin ging th o usands of dollar. each in art galleri es. Rozelle, an associate professor of computer information systems at Georgia State University, said thi s type of woodtu rnin g sho uld not be con fused with ord inary turnin g on a lathe, where woo d is co nn ected on both ends. Roze lle's art invo lves co nnecting wood on only on e end and turnin g bowl -like vesse ls and other ho llow obje cts that vary in size and design accordi ng to th e co ncep tion of th e artist. Prices reportedly ran ge from a few dollars to $10,000, depending o n wheth er the piece is purchased at a yard ale or fro m a prestigious art ga ll ery. 
N EW ART FORM 
." I would n't be surprised if a good Pl~c~ brought $10,000, even thou gh th1s IS a relatively new art form ," Rozelle said. " Actually, bowl turnin g . oe back 5,000 years, but the very Idea of turn ing wood as a no nfu nctional pure work of art is probably On ly about 40 years old at the most." 
Born in rural Alabama, th e 50-yearold Rozel le grew up in a country sto re Where he deve loped an early appre- 
 
ciation for wood. " I remember liking th e old app le crates," he said . " I eve n liked the smell of the wood ." He also remembers that rural people in th e area identified wood with motives. Oak, hickory and ash were for burning in the fireplace, while pine was favore.J for lumber. Locust, ce dar and heart pi ne were for fencin g becau se they resisted rot. Growing up in this environment, identifyin g trees and their qualities becam e seco nd natu re to Roze lle. 
Workin g w ith his current woodturningart, he shuns exoti c species and still prefers local wood such as map le, app le, magnolia, dogwood and crabappl e. He sometim es spend s as mu ch as 40 hours on one piece. His ge nera l price range i $100 to $500, but som e go as high as $1600. It wou ld not be surpri in g for Rozelle's pri ce ran ge to increase dramatical ly as his reputation and the art becomes more publicized. 
Rozelle was first attracted to woodturnin g in 1954 when he was an Air Force jet pilot. Stationed in Texas, he wandered into a woodworking shop where mesquite bowls were bein g turned. He never forgot it. Yearslater, when he saw a threefoot tall bowl at a public exhibit, he had a flashback to the Texas workshop and thou ght - " if somebody else can do this, so can 1." 
Rozelle ha been at it ever since. His works are now sold by art galleries in a number of cities including: Atlanta, Mali bu, San Francisco, Roanoake, and 
 
Seattle. He said woodturning being recogni zed as an art form can probab ly be credited to the influence of artisti c ci rcl es in New York and Cal ifornia. 
" It's definitely an evolving art," Rozelle said, " but I know of a number of artists who are already making a living at it." He has also noticed that more and more aspirin g artists are being attracted to the woodturning ranks. They come fro m varied backgrounds and occupations, but all share an appreciation of wood. "And virtually all who do it are people who enjoy being absorbed in creating something in solitude." he said. 
VARIED BACKGROUND 
Rozelle is no different. Although his background and interests are varied, w hat he really wants to do now is "turn wood." He has a B. S. degree in aeronautical engineering from Auburn University and an M .B.A. and Ph. D. in Finance from Georgia State University. He also has a vast knowledge of computers - his area of teaching. 
Now on a one year leave from Georgia State University, Rozelle said he took the time off to "catch up" on computer technology. "Anybody who tells you that he can teach full time and keep up with changes in co mputer technology is misguided," Rozelle said. "Computers change every day." But he admits the idea of having more time for woodturning was also appealing. 
(continued on next page) 
Georgia Forestry/Spring, 1992/21 
 
 LOOKING 
BACK 
1933 
A "Code of Fair Competition" has been established for lumber and timber industries with the avowed purpose of reducing unemployment and improving standards of labor. Wages are to be paid at the starting minimum rate of 22V2 cents per hour...Radio is now being used in preventing. detecting and fighting forest fires. Superior Pine Products Company of Fargo is the first company to receive a license for the use of radio for this purpose... 
1935 
This year is bringing several changes that are to have lasting effects on Georgia Forestry. One important development is the work that has begun by the Union Bag and Paper Corporation at Savannah on what is expected to become the largest pulp mill in the world within two years...The Georgia Forestry Association held a meeting in Macon to intensify a campaign to rid Georgia of forest arsonists. A resolution was passed urging superior court judges to charge grand juries with regard to forest fires set by arsonists... 
1943 
Timber in Georgia has become a critical war material and many landowners are becoming aware, perhaps for the first time, that their forest holdings have a significant value. 
1974 
The Board of Commissioners of the Georgia Forestry Commission has renamed the Waycross State Forest in honor of the late Hugh M. Dixon of Vidalia, former board member. It will now be known as the Dixon Memorial State Forest. 
22/Georgia Forestry/Spring 1992 
 
He approaches woodturning with the same confidence that he approaches other interests. He works to satisfy his personal sense of technical and artistic satisfaction, which makes it difficult to determine a completed object. 
The basic simplicity of art form is deceptive. Rozelle remembers initial problems with artistic interpretations and abstractions. "When I first started woodturning, I'm afraid my works were not very artistic," Rozelle said. "I was an engineer - which meant my right brain was not very well developed." 
He discovered the most challenging aspect of his initial efforts was trying to teach himself to imagine shapes and relationships between depths and heights. "But the real art is in looking at a piece of wood and trying to decide on an orientation that will best show the beauty of the wood," Rozelle said. "Some pieces may have large holes or rotted places, but this is just more grist for the artistic mill- the beauty that results with the right approach is incredible." 
INSTRUCTIONS UNAVAILABLE 
It was this process of conceptualizing which gave Rozelle problems in the beginning. To make things more difficult, the mechanics of the process were hard to come by too. When he started turning wood, there was no one in the United States who taught bowl turning, no tools for doing it, and no books on the subject. 
"Finally, I ordered an instructional book from England - that later became somewhat of a classic in the United States - and a British catalog for specialized tools," Rozelle said. "I had to teach myself how to do it and built my own lathe. Now it's much simpler here. Tools and lathes are available and there are people who teach the art." 
Rozelle also teaches woodturning on a limited basis, although it is not something he seeks out. He says his approach to teaching concentrates on technique. Once a student has learned techniques, he or she must rely on individual creative instincts and princip les of choice for the emerging art form. 
BUILT OWN LATHE 
As an instructor, Rozelle also offers some valuable mechanical knowledge. Lathes are now available that will turn anything from small pieces to logs weighing half a ton. "There are some custom made lathes that will turn a piece of wood 48 inches in diameter, but these may cost up to $15,000," he 
 
said . "However, good sized lathes that can be built for several hundred dollars," Rozelle built his own lathe which will turn large pieces - for less than $300. 
As for getting wood to work with , Rozelle said this is not a big problem. He does not go in for exotic wood s and gets everything he turns from scrap wood or discarded trees. " I saw one estimate that said in the Atlanta area there are a thousand trees a week cut and hauled to the landfill," Rozell e said. "It's just a matter of training you r eye to recognize a tree or piece o f wood that suits your artistic purpose and askin g the right person; they'll usually give it to you." 
ASSOCIATION FORMED 
Rozelle pointed out that there are now several publications and organizations for woodturners. One su ch organization is the American Associ ation of Woodturners, an international group with a membership that has reached 5,000. Rozelle was a foundin g member of the organization. He was also a founding member of th e Georgia Association of WoodTurn er, which monthly meetings in the Atlanta area. 
"It's still not a well known thin g," says Rozelle as he lifts a 30-pound log to mount on the face plate of the lathe. "There are millions and millions of people who have never heard of woodturning as an art form, it's not li ke selling an oil painting. Not yet, anyway." 
Rozelle fastens the log into place, pulls his goggles down and braces a bi g steel-tipped chise l against the bark. There is silence for a moment as he adjusts the chisel to just the right an gle and imbeds it in the log. There is a sanctuary quality to the cavernous workshop. Oil cans, pulleys, ragged manuals, and a maze oftools cover th e walls. Embryonic bowl-like shapes of works in progress surround ripsaws and lathes flanked by a stalwart blacksmith's anvil. 
"What we need now- if more people are going to turn wood and sell it as an art form - is more exposure," Rozelle said. "The market is now in th e formative stages." He adjusts his goggles, braces the chisel and turns on the power. With the whine of th e lathe, a shower of wood curls fill the air as Rozelle intently watches the chan ging shape. As the market forms, he is forming another shape, just as he has been doing for the past 20 years. 
 
 BETIY WALTERS was honored January 31 with a surprise luncheon given by Commission employees as she completed her last day of work as admi~is trative secretary of the Information and Education Department. Her husband and several other family members were special guests at the retirement function. The secretary, who was transferred to the state headq uarters last fall after serving as principal secretary in the Tifton District since 1976, said the surprise party was "the best kept secret since Pearl Harbor. " Th e couple plans to do extensive travelin g in their new motor home now that both are reti red . 
FRIENDS HONOR BRANT 
AT RETIREMENT PARTY 
A large group of Commission employees, other friends and relatives gathered in Milledgeville shortly after the beginning of the new year to honor veteran Forester Bennie Brant. 
The occasion was a retirement dinner celebrating Brant's more than 33 years of distinguished service to th e Commission. He was district forester at the tim e of his retirement. 
Brant, a native of Statesboro, attended high school in that city and earned a degree in forestry at the Un iversity of Georgia. He came with the Com mission in 1958 and his first assignment was forest technician in Valdosta. He was named to head that unit six months l~ter and was transferred to MilledgeVI.IIe the fo llowing year as assistant distnct forester. He became district 
fo~e~ter followi ng the retirement of Bill 
M1llians in 1986. 
h The retired forester and his wife Lois ave a son, Ray, a Macon chiropractor, 
and one grandson, Chris. . The coup le plans to continue to live In Milledgeville, w here thay are active 
 
in the First United Methodist Church and several community affai rs. Brant is a member of the Masonic Lodge and Rotary Club. 
 
PHIL PORTER IS NAMED NEW DISTRICT FORESTER 
 
Phil Porter, who came with the 
 
Commission in 1974, has been named 
 
Ameri cus Distict Forester to succeed 
 
Rowe Wall, who recently retired. 
 
Porter, a native of Maco n, attended 
 
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural college 
 
two years and went on to the Univer- 
 
sity of Georgia to earn a degree in 
 
forestry. He was 
 
assigned to the 
 
Americus Dis- 
 
trict as forester 
 
and has served 
 
in that office 
 
during his 18 
 
years with the 
 
Commission. 
 
The new district forester 
 
Phil Porter 
 
manages the 
 
Commission's largest district, with 17 
 
county units and a cooperative arrange- 
 
ment with 64 stations under the Rural Fire 
 
Defense Program. He said bark beetle 
 
infestation is the major problem facing his 
 
personnel, especially in the 
 
western sector of the district. 
 
Porter, who said he became intrigued 
 
with forestry as an FFA member in high 
 
school, isalso fond of horses and has four 
 
on his small farm three miles east of 
 
Americus. He is active in the Sumter 
 
County Saddle Club. 
 
The district forester and his wife 
 
Maureen have a daughter, Casey, 7. The 
 
family attends Lee Street United 
 
Methodist Church in Americus. 
 
TRAINING OFFICER BURNS ENDS LONG GFC SERVICE 
Bob Burns, staff forester of the Protection Department and training officer for the Commission, ended 34 years of service at the end of February 
 
and was honored with a retirement dinner attended by a large group of friends and relatives. 
Burns, a native of Savannah, attended Benedictine Military School in that city and upon graduation, enrolled in the School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, where he earned a BS degree in forestry. 
He came with the Commission in 1959 and was assigned to the Dougherty County Unit, transferring to Macon the following year to conduct the River Basin Survey for the state. Burns served as management forester in the Milledgeville District for a short time and was then assigned to Griffin, where he served for eight years in management as an assistant district forester, attached to the Newnan District. His next assignment was McDonough, where he worked as area forester. 
The forester was transferred to Commission headquarters in Macon 18 years ago to become the agency's training officer. 
Burns and his wife, who make their home in Macon, have two children, Robbie, and Debbie. The couple attends Vineville Baptist Church, where he has taught Sunday School for many years. 
FACTORY SHOALS 
(continued from page 18) 
state by planting adaptable tree species. Beyer's current schedule is to plant approximately 1,000 trees annually, using the 75/25 hardwood to pine ratio. 
Beyer has done an extensive tree survey and found more than 50 species growing in the park. 
The forester has an on going project of making nature trails that wind throu gh the woods with little disturbance to the environment. 
Having roamed woodlands throughout the United States, Beyer has come to the conclusion that parks such as Factory Shoals will be greatly valued by future generations. "I'd like to see more parks like this simply because they preserve some of the past - and it takes you back to atime when you cou ld ride along adirt road overlooking a river and just pull over and camp out." 
Georgia Forestry/Spring, 1992/23 
 
 WOOD 
It was superior then and it's superior now. The early settlers had to depend on it, but many of today's architects, engineers and builders select it over other building materials because of its beauty, strength, versatility and durability. There is no substitute for wood , a fact well known and appreciated iil Georgia, on e of the nation's leaders in the production of quality wood. 
 
GEORGIA 
 
FORESTRY 
 
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