GEORGIA FORESTRY lJitorial South Georgia Forests Improved (From the Lowndes County News) SOUTH GEORG I A has increased the pine saw timber in its forests by 15 per cent in 17 years. The number of trees now growing - saw timber and smaller - is half again 13-s many as in 1934. This cheering news comes from a survey conducted by the U. S. Forestry service. The report shows that Georgia's timber in- dustry last year gathered 2,200, m0o0r0 ~ 000 than board it did feet, one-third only s even years ago. These gains were made while long-range forest depletion con- tinued in many Southern states. South Carolina lost 29 per cent of its saw timber during the 17year period; Mississippi, 12; Florida 9, and Arkansas, 6. The report is not yet in for north Georgia. Expert~ fear it will show less gain than that for the southern half of the state because forest practices are said to be less advanced . But the northern region also is improving. For this trend we are indebted to forestry services, educational agencies, local governments, and, above all, to the farmers themselves. Only a few years ago, forests were c ut and burned with virtually no replacement. Now regular plantings, scientific cutting, improved naval stores processing and careful fire prevention are building back vital timberland which not onl y brings in cash but also conserves the soi l and protects the water table. Much work r emains. Heavy cuttings must be le ssened and gradualized, overstocking must be hal ted, the war on forest fires must be redoubled. But South Georgi a has given us a striking testament to what can be done. With her example, it should become easier each year to keep Georgia green. Vol. 6 GEORGIA FORESTRY January, 19.)3 Published :Monthly by the GEORGIA FORESTRY CO~Il\IISSION, State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia. Guyton DeLoach, Director No.1 Members, Board of Commissioners: G. Philip Morgan, Chairman .................................. ...................................................Savannah John M. McElra th..................Macon K. S. Varn .............................-.....Waycross C. M. Jordan, Jr............ .. .............Alamo H. 0. Cummings............Donalsonville Georgia Forestry is entered as second-class matter at the Post Office under th e Act of August 24, 1912. Member of the Georgia Press Association. EDITOR............... ... .............. ASSOCIATE EDITOR * * * * ..................... .........................................-...........R. E. Davis ................. Patricia lHcKemie * * * * DISTRICT OFFICES, GEO RGIA FOI{ESTRY COl\1:\IISSION: DISTRICT I-Route 2, Statesboro DISTRICT VI-P. 0. Box 404, Milledgeville DISTRICT li-P. 0. Box 21i, Camilla DISTRICT VII-Route 1, Rome DISTRICT III- P. 0. Box 169, Americus DISTRICT...VIII= P :--0. Box 811, Waycross"' lVftrS'//f.:: DISTRICT IV-P. 0. Box 333, Newnan DI STRICT V-P. 0. Box 328, McRae k E DISTRICT" IX-P. 0. Box 416, Gainesv~lle \ 1 <) ------ J DISTRICT -f{i.p. 0. nox 302, Washington ,. ...,.,~ Great Debt Owed To Men Of the Forest (From the Atlanta Constitution) Though most of Georgia's for es":. fires have died out, leaving only c harred tre~s and ashes as reminders of their destruction, it is not too late for p:raise for the men who keep s uch fires from doing even greater damage. Georgia' s Forestry Departmen tthe men in the forest towers and jeeps and woods all over the state - are at work constant.! y to conserve our forests, whether fire s rage or not. They work quietl y and with little praise, but without them, little of our timberland would survive. There was a time when we had no s uch forestry service in Georgia. When fires came, farmers took whatever weapons they could muster to fight the blaze. Their efforts were unorganized, of ten without proper knowledge. Today, the forest rangers keep constant wat ch for fires, that they may be halted while they are s ma ll. They assist farmers in burning over 1and. They are ready with help or adv ice on any forestry probl ems. So wh ethe r t he fir es are raging or not, we owe a great debt to this group. Their skills me~n mu~h to Georgians each year In timber conserved and replanted. Georgia's bountiful new progress in agri cui tu re is featured by t he advancement of Tree Farming. With more than a million woodland acres now in certified Georgia Tree Farms, the state has passed another forestry milestone and sound forest management practices are being instituted on a rapidly increasing number of woodland acres. The expansion of the Georgia Tree Farm System evidences the fact that the state's landowners are becoming increasingly cognizant of the economic and social benefits of growing trees as a crop. JANUARY , 1953 2 ,{eep Q~teen 'Week Set dJ.e~'l I 5 -:2.1 Keep Georgia Green Week, as proclaimed by Governor Herman Talmadge, will officially begin February 15 and last through February 21, with special parades, dedication ceremonies, forestry programs and outings planned throughout the state. As the impetus of the obsrevance has grown year by year, Georgians have taken an ever increasing interest in the activities occurring during this special forestry week. The 1953 observance will mark the sixth consecutive year the state has paid tribute to its trees. County Foresters and Rangers will take a leading part in the week long observance. All are preparing for ' 1 open house'' with invitations extended throughout the state for all to visit the County Fares try Unit headquarters, garages and towers for inspection tours. County unit jeeps, plows, fire wagons and other equipment will be on display for those interested in becoming better acquainted with the machines used by the county's forest fire fighters. Camtless ideas will be used for re-awakening public interest and support in the Keep Georgia Green program. Among the list of activities scheduled for the green week are: specialeditions of newspapers printed in allg reen ink, radio prog rams featuring local Veep Green Council members and s upporters of the forestry movement, parades made up of green floats portraying various phases of ''good forestry vs. shameful waste'', dedication of forestry buildings, towers and equipment; school, agricultural and other youth group programs boasting the growing of tree crops , and civic and social club programs highlighted by forestry talks, film, exhibits and displays. All programs will be aimed at stressi ng individual respoTEibility of each citizen in preventing forest fires, properly managing timberlands, and refo re sting e roded and understocked lands. 62 Woodlots Certified Georgia Tree Farms Top Million Acre Mark Georgia passed another forestry milestone recently as the state reached the one mill ion acre mark in forest land qualifying and certified as Georgia Tree Farms, according to a joint announcement byGuyton DeLoach, Director of the Georgia Forestry Commission, and Hugh W. Dobbs, President of the Georgia Forestry Association. DeLoach pointed out that the Georgia Tree Farms System began in 1948 when the first certificate was issued to E. C. Fancher, of Pearson, on 200 acres of Forest land located in Atkinson County. Since the incept ion of the Georgia Tree Farms System in 1948, sixty-two certificates have beep issued in the state on 1,017,572 acres of Georgia timberland, recognizing and honoring landowners who are adequately protecting and properlymanaging their woodlands. 1 'The program in Georgia,'' I:'eLoach continued, ''has steadily climbed in acreage for the past five years, until recently cer~ ficate nun l er (2 was issued to Pr~ston Stamps of Plainfield, who has properly protected and managed his l, 694 Uodge county woodland acres.'' Recently 97 acres of Montgomery county forest land owned by H. V. Thompson, Ailey, have been certified. Other new Tree Farm awards have been issued to B. R. Snooks, Ailey, on 300 ~lontgomery County acres; Rob White, Thomasvill e on 1,100 woodland acres in Grady County, and G. N. Weatherly, McRae, owner of 5,000 acres in Laurens County. In Oglethorpe County, 1,174 acres owned by the Georgia Forest Farms, Inc., Washington, Georgia, have met Tree Farm specifications. The Forest Farms have also had 22, 112 acres certified in Wilkes, Oglethorpe and Taliaferro counties. R. E. Sullivan's 969 Sumter and Webster county acres have been designated as a Tree Farm area. Cyrene Turpentine Company, Bainbridge, has been presented a Tr ef~ Farm award for 1,346 Decatur County acres. Four thousand woodland acrPs in Effingham County, owned by L. H. and G. W. Morgan, Springfield, have been approved for Tree Farm certificates. Dobbs stated that the Forestry Association was gratified by the (Continued on Page 91 GEORGIA'S NEWEST TREE FARMER, PRESTON STAMPS, OF PLAINFIELD Surveys One Of Many Fi relines OJtting Through His 1, 694 Woodland Acres ..u . . ' I . . ~~tf"\:.r,. ., ..,~~ >~ . t Men, Science, and Production of forest tree seedlings in Georgia's state nurseries is a mass operation by men, science and machines. Upper left, tractor-powered lifter breaks ground wuJerabedofseedlings. Upper right, crew gather seedlings for transfer to grading shed. Right, Mack Neal, SUperintendent, Davisboro, directs crews grading seedlings to eliminate defective trees. Lower left, seedlings are tied in bunches and, lower right, are packed in dampened moss waterproofed wrapping to insure survival. / KEEP AMERICA GREEN 4 I I CHAPPELL COLLINS, GEORGIA' S 4-H NATIONAL FORESTRY CHAMP, SHAKES HANDS WI 111 WOODY, KEEP AMERICA GREEN' S CHIEF PROPONENT Collins N a tiona! 4-H Forestry W inner For t he third consecutive year, a Georgia farm youth has conquered 4-H Club representatives from throughout the United States, and has been acclaimed national 4-H forestry champion. Mitchell County's Chappell Collins, Jr., was awarded a $300 scholarship during early December as he topped the 4-H forestry competitors at the National 4-H Congress in Chic ago and was named 1952 champion. National 4-H awards are sponsored by American Forest Products Industries, Inc. demonstration at the national competitions. Collins is a twelfth grade student at Mitchell County Senior High School, and is vice president of the school's 4-H Club. Mitchell County Agent J. A. Mauldin has acted as advisor for ColI ins in 4-H work. Last year Willard Colston of Habersham County won the national award. The 1950 winner was Lynn Ogdon of Richmond County. Thousands of Georgia school children take part February 20 in forestry observances throughout the state, celebrating the sixtysecond anniversary of Arbor Day in Georgia. Special ceremonies are designed honor the state's ''green gold'' and the leading part trees play in our everyday lives and our state and nation's economy. County Foresters and Rangers will cooperate with teachers and school officials in planning the tree day activities, and will provide film, literature, displays, exhibits and demonstrations. Prepared program suggestions are being offered by the Georgia Forestry Commission through County personnel as an aid in planning a full and informative day dedicated to forestry. The program includes a copy of the prod amation by Governor Herman Talmadge officially declaring February 20 as Arbor Day. Among the suggestions are forestry songs, Scripture readings, poems and essays. As state winner of the tenth annual Georgia 4-H Club congress in Atlanta in October, Collins was presented an all-expensepaid trip to Chicago to compete for nationwide honors. The trip was awarded by Southern Bell Telephone Company, sponsors of tte 4 -H forestry project in Georgia. SEVEN YEAR TERM FOR COMMISSIONER MCELRATH--Governor Herman E. Talmadge, right, swears in John E. McElrath, Macon, for a new full tenure term as a member of the Board of Conunissioners, Georgia Forestry Commission. McElrath, who has served on the Board since the inception of the Commission, was aJPointed by the Governor to succeed himself. Forest management on a 250-acre farm near Camilla served as the 1952 forestry project for the national winner. This is the seventh year that Collins has had a forestry project, and last year he placed second in the c~orgia state competitions. Other projects that Collins has excelled in are corn, dairying, beef cattle and poultr y. ' ' Pruning of Pines'' and its i mportance to the production of hi ghest quality saw-logs, was the subject of Collins' lecture- COUNTY FORESTER J. C. BOW~ EXPLAINS BEN HILL WINDOW DISPLAY FITZGERALD HIW S