r ~-Only you can - PRtvENT- - -WOODS t=IRES FEBRUARY 195 6 GEORGIA FORESTRY Editorial (From the Macon Telegraph) The Georgia Forestry Commission's four forest tree seedling nurseries have announced a total production of lll, 500,000 seed1ing for the 1955-56 planting season. The crop is called "one of the best ever produced in our nurseries" and seedlings are being shipped out for planting at the rate of two million per day. The report emphasizes the trees "strong, vigorous and healthy" and the canmission urges farmers to observe proper care and planting procedures. Georgia has become the lOth state in the nation and third in the South for paper production and the pine tree is growing steadily in popularity. Its cultivation is bringing thousands of dollars into the pockets of those who have interested themselves in this important phase of farm operations. Pulpwood sales have added many dollars to the farm income, and since more and more farmers are utilizing aid in marking trees for selective cutting, the increased growth of the remaining pines is bringing additional income from saw timber. One of Georgia's greatest assets is her forest land. Twothirds of our state is covered with forests, a_nd income from products obtained from the several hun- dred forest raw materials represents an enormous segment ot our total income. The forests mean employment in woods and factories for thousands of Georgia ci tiz~ns. We are happy to see more pine planting. We are confident that a farmer who buys seedlings and takes the trouble to set them out, will do all he can to keep down forest fires. Vol. 9 GEORGIA FORESTRY February, 1956 Published Monthly by the GEORGIA FORESTRY CO.M.MISSION, State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia Guyton DeLoach, Director No.2 Members, Board of Commissioners: K. S. Varn , Chairman _________________________________ ----------------------------Waycross Sam H. Morgan _________ Savannah C. M. Jordan, Jr, _______________Alamo John M. McElrath______________ Macon H. 0. Cummings ________ Donalsonville Georgia Forestry is enteret: as second class matter at the Post Office under the Act of August 24, 1912. Member of the Georgia Press Association. EDIT OR * * * * __ _______ Ri.:hard E. Davis ASSOC IATE EDITORS ___________ _ __ Robert Rutherford Donna Howard 1 * * * * DISTRICT OFFICES, GEORGIA FORESTRY COl\11\llSSION: DISTRICT I-Route 2, Statesboro DISTRICT VI-P. 0. Box 505, .Milledgeville DISTRICT li-P. 0. Box 26, Camilla DISTRICT VII-Route 1, Rome DISTRICT III-P. 0. Box 169, Americu~ DISTRICT VIII-P. 0. Box 811, Waycross DISTRICT IV-P. 0. Box 333, Newnan DISTRICT IX-P. 0. Box 416, Gainesville DISTRICT V-P. 0. Box 32S, DISTRICT X-P. 0. Box 302, McRae Washington Tree Farmers Cited (From the Atlanta Constitution) Landowners in 119 of Georgia's 159 counties have become eligi- ble to display the official national emblem of a" tree farm". The awards are granted to farms which are able to certify specific acres devoted to replanting and to good forest management generally. Georgia ranks high in the nation with several million acres certified. Gwinnett County leads with 14 tree farms. Char 1ton, Clinch and Dodge Counties have 12 each; Effingham 11 and Brantley, Bulloch, Ware and Wilkes follow. More and more use of the Georgia pine is revealing to landowners the present and future value of trees. Seedlings planted today will send children to college by the time they are ready. Seedlings put into submarginal land today will provide an old-age retirement plan of considerable 1ncome. Overcutting, while on the dec line, remains a problem. But progress is being made by education and by example. Congratulations to the tree farmers let's have more of them. Standing in the forefront in the relentless battle for forest fire prevention is a chubby, furry character who has won a place in the hearts of all conservation-minded Americans. Smokey, the familiar, a(l>ealing fire preventing bear, ably leads the annual cooperative Forest F'i re Prevention Campaign - a nationwide drive to reduce the tragic fire loss in our nation's forestlands. Smokey stands today as the national symbol and trademar' of forest fire prl'vention, and to him we doff our hats! FEBRUARY, 1956 2 Pulpwood Meet Stresses Coordinated Fire Control K. S. TROWBRIDGE, (above), 1955 President of SPCA, PlYmouth, N.c., addresse~ group. Below are pictured the newlyelected 1956 officers and directors of SPCA. . , ' ... ~ '.f '/ A record crowd of more than 600 representatives of the pulp and paper industry, foresters, landowners, suppliers of pulpwood and guests met at the Atlanta Biltmore Hotel in mid-January for the annual meeting of the Southern Pulpwood Conservation Association which featured discussions of forest fire prevention, coordination of suppression forces in fire control and the presentation of television programs on forestry. The opening conservation foresters meeting was highlighted by a discussion of TV production. ., J Participating on the panel discussion were Jay Durham, WSB-TV Atlanta, J. P. Harper, Internat ional Paper Company, and F. H. Mart in, Arkansas State Forestry and Parks Commission. Speaking on the subject of utilizing television as an influen.t ial media for acquainting the public with forestry, Mr. Durham stressed the importance of the complete pre-planning of television programs. He emphasized that "television stations are primarily interested in the uniqueness and the entertairunent value of ideas." He added that "even if the program is essential! y informational in tone, the value of the presentation and the impression it makes on the viewer may well depend on the humor and human interest that can be included." The president's address by K. S. Trowbridge, North Carolina Pulp Company, reviewed the steady progress of the industrial forestry program of the Southern Pulpwood industry during the past year. Mr. Trowbridge encouraged continued effort toward the prevention and suppression of forest fires and the ever-present need for public interest and support. Fo l] owing the president's address H. J. (Continued on Page 10) CLINT UAVIS, L. S. t uecember; this unique invention may come into usage in forest survey work and in utility pole inspection. '- 5 GEORGIA FORESTRY g~ g~ Skvd (!)/ '56 dJ-tVu?AJ dJ-i/1 P~ e~ As the 1956 Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention Campaign gets under way, Smokey Bear is again the leading figure, pleading for public cooperation in the prevention of forest, woods and range fires throughout the entire country. The CFFP campaign, a public service project of the Advertising Council and sponsored jointly by the State Foresters and the U. S. Forest Service, features a variety of publicity material including posters, newspaper ads, radio and television spot announcements, bookmarks, blotters and stamps available for use in presenting the public with the 1956 fire prevention message. On one of the colorful campaign posters which will be seen throughout the state this ye ar, Smokey emphasizes his four familiar outdoor rules for everyone "break your matches, crush your smokes, drown your campfires and be careful with every fire!" Another colorful and forc e ful fire prevention reminder is a poster based on the theme, "Only You Can Prevent F o r es t Fires ! '' The illustrati on f ea tures a man' s hand protec ting a sma ll pi ne seed 1 ing from ragi ng fl ames in the background. The flames are transforming a be autiful, gr een forest into wo r thless, ba rr e n l anci. An especially notable project of the 1956 CFFP campaign is a "double-barreled radio attack on for est fires" made by two prominent personalities in the entertainment war ld. The voices of Roy Rogers and Bing Crosby will be heard over network radio as they join the nation-wide Smokey Bear fight against forest fires and urge listeners to "make care a habit -especially during periods of local fire danger. " This year's CFFP selections of bookmarks, blotters and stamps are " small but mighty firefighters " made for use in mailings, on store counters, in schools or offices. Al l of the materia l s i n the 1956 campaign are good too l s to use agai nst the occurrence of forest fires, but like any tools, they must be used to be effective. The 1956 "Snokey" campaign will serve as a reminder that mi 1l ions of persons will be traveling through forested areas in coming months and the public's job will be to keep aware of the need for preventing costly fires. Special emphasis will be plac ed in the 1956 campaign on enlisting the support of all segments of the nation's populations , young and old and in all walks of l i fe . All available publicity media-- press, radio, television, GI F T F 0 It nA L E-- Roy Rogers I wes t e rn s tar ot motion pictures and t e levision, rece ives a replica of Smokey the Bear a s a g ift for Dal e Eva rB f o ll owing t he cooboy s t a r' s record i ng of a radio program in s upport of Smoke y's fire prevention e ffort s . Al s o rnrti c ipat ing in t he prograrrs are Roy ' s s i dekic k, fut Brady , a nd the Sons o f the Pionee rs. magaZlnes, billboards and others will be utilized in putting acros s the fores t fire prevention message. RADIO NEWS ADS FOR , FEBRUARY, 1956 Randolph Landowner Grows Quality Poles William Lies, Jr., of Cuthbert, has proven that opportunities in forestry are manifold and has developed hi s own formula for profitable pole production. Proprietor of Coleman Pines Company in Randol ph County, Mr. Lies is a native of New York who came to the South shortly after War ld War I to continue a career in the r etail furniture business. An increasing interest in the demanding market for high quality telephone poles, however, diverted his attention, encouraging him to observe and study the growth of slash pine trees. This interest developed into an ambition and then a reality in the form of a successful career in the production of high quality pole timber. Land acquisition was slow at first, but in December 1935 the stage was set for the event which wa!' the first of a chain reaction. Dur1ng that year L1es purchased 35,000 slash pine seedlings from the Herty Nursery in Albany and planted them by hand. In 1936 the number of slash pine he planted was increased to 110,000. Outstanding leadership in the reforestation of slash pine was recognized by the Georgia Department of Forestry in 1938 when William Lies was extended an invitation to participate in a radio program which was to launch a major tree planting program throughout the state. The Coleman Pines Company today has more than 4, 600 acres growing slash pine trees which are being pruned on a large commercial scale. "The secret of success in this operation," stated Lies, "is to plant slash pine seedlings on good sites using a ten by ten foot spacing. 11 "These conditions, 11 he continued, "are ideal for rapid height growth. 11 Slashpine seedlings are planted by the Coleman Pines Company at a rate of 50,000 per year. For the first five years this agency planted trees by hand, but now the more modern methods of mechanica1plant- ing are used. Young trees are set 450 to the acre, and the first pruning operation is made when the trees are four to five years old, an age by which trees have usually attained a height of seven to ten feet. This pruning is performed by hand clip- SLASH PINE POLE TIMBER is pruned to a height of 25 feet by the use of a pruning saw es- pecially equipped with three Pi gh t foot handle extensions. pers which remove all branches up to one and one-half inches in diameter, A second similiar pruning is made five years later when the trees are ten years old. The third and final pruning is made after the first thinning. This operation removes aU limbs up to a height of 25 feet by using a saw and three six-foot extension handles of aluminum-magnesium. One thinning for pulpwood is made when the trees are 18 to 20 years of age. This operation takes all but 200-250 stems per acre leaving the best trees. Normally this thinning will produce about a car of pulpwood per acre or a re- turnof $70 per acre which finances (Continued on Page 10) AT LEFT, FIVE-lEAR-OLD PLANTED SLASH PINES which have been pruned with hand clippers are examinPu by William Lies, Jr. Right, Lies exhibits a pruning saw equipped wi tb three eight foot extension handles made of light weight aluminum-magnesiu~ . ~t. ,. ~, . ~ ~ -:c...... 7 GEORGIA FORESTRY Forest Farmers Plan Forest Fire Charleston Conference ''Selective Action--Key to the Forest Fire Problem" will be the theme of the 1956 Southern Forestry Conference of the Forest Farmers Association, slated for April 19-20 at O,arleston, S. C. ) . r I HERMAN TALMADGE Keynote Speaker Herman E. Talmadge, for mer Georgia governor and prominent southern forestry leader, will be keynote speaker. He will speak at the opening session on Thursday, April 19. Citing the reasons behind selection of the conference theme, J. V. Whitfield, of Burgaw, N. C., pointed out that wild forest fires "are likely the single most important problem in southern forestry today. "For that reason," he added, "the aim of our conference is to cover specific ways and means to attack the fire probler" more effectively." Timberland owners from 15 states w1ll be represented at the meeting. General sessions will be open to the public, and all interested persons have been invited to attend. In addition to the regular sessions, the Forest Farmers Association will be honored at a special function co-sponsored by West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company and International Paper Company. The meeting is being coord inated with the Southern Governors Conference on forest fire and woods arson sch~duled for New (Continued on Page 10 ) Danger High Traditional March winds combining with what has been one of the driest winters in the state's history have maintained the forest fire situation at a "high1y dangerous," level Guyton DeLoach, Director, Georgia Forestry Commission, recently warned Georgia citizens. "County Forestry Units throughout the state," said the Director, "have been alerted that although forest fire incidence in January and February was above average, the hi~h winds which are usually a part of our March weather picture could create an even more serious situation.'' Mr. DeLoach pointed out such a situationcan be avoided, no matter how high the winds during the latter part of this month and during March may be, if farmers and landowners pay close attention to burning rules and burn brush and trash and burn off old fields. ''Always check with your County Forest Ranger before doing any burning," the Director said. TREE APPRECIATION DA\'--Among organizations particiJBting in the recent annual Georgia Tree Appreciation Day was the catoosa County Forestry Unit. The Unit, in cooperation with the County Agent's office, presented a pine seedling to every white and negro schoolchild in tbe county. Patrolnan E. D. Thonas, (left), gives out seedlings at a white elementary school, and Rane:er Raloh Clark. (ohotoat right), gives out seedlings at negro elementary sc hool. .Ill> Rangers In The News More than 200 Middle Georgia Boy Scouts, aided by conservation leaders including Bibb County Forest Ranger II. P. Stapleton, recently gained first-hand information on forestry and conservation methods and practices at a threeday meeting at Camp Benjamin Hawkins near Macon. Others giving instruction at the camp included District Forester Frank Eadie and Assistant District Foresters Wallace Binns and Bill Barnes, of the Georgia Forestry Comnission' s Milledgeville District Office. Conservation leaders 1n a variety of fields taught the boys specific forestry jobs. The Keep Bibb County Green Council and the central Georgia Boy Scout Council sponsored the camp. Comnendations to the women of Tift County for their work in forest conservation came this month from Tift County Ranger W. F. Watson. The Ranger reported one of the county's leading clubs, aided by other civic minded citizens, is sponsoring the Keep Green program in that county. Mrs. Glennie Riddle, Chairman of the Conservation Committee of the Twentieth Century Library Club, and Mrs. Howard Smith, chairman of the same club's Education Committee, are leading the program in the club. The County Forestry Unit head said the women are doing "an excellent job" in bringing Tift County citizens a r ealization of the value of keeping their county' s forests green. BLECKLEY' S FORESTRY QUEEN AND PRINCESSES- Sue Melvin , (center in top photo), reigns as Bleckley County Keep Green queen at the special parade in Cochran which highlighted the county's Keep Green contest activities. The group includes, left to right, Bobbie Jane Lucas, Janice Young, Sue Melvin, Jane Jones and Fleta Smith. Union Hill school float won first place in the parade, according to BleckleyCounty Ranger Hall Jones, who directed the event. Second place went to the county's Future Farmers of America chapter, and the Home Demonstration Council float placed third. Hir,h stepping majorettes lead the band in the parade, (above photo). Georgia Forestry Commission and industry rangers and foresters combined e fforts last month in Calhoun County to present a tree planting demonstration, according to Calhoun County Ranger Jack Ihwning. Held near Leary, the demonstration featured newest methods of forest tree planting. A team of rangers and fares ters from the Ca lhoun County Forestry Uni t , the Camilla district offic e and the Inte rnational Paper Company we r e on hand throughout t he d a y t o s how the prope r me thod of cari ng for tre e s eedlings fr om the time the y ar e de livered to the r ange r' s headquarters to the time they a r e plant ed. 9 GEORGIA FORESTRY Arbor Day Observance Utilization Scheduled For Feb. 17 Thousands of Georgia youngsters will gather in special ceremonies this month to observe the sixty-fifth anniversary of Arbor Illy. Observed each year by legislative decree on the third Friday of February, Arbor Day in 1956 will fall on February 17. On that date, hundreds of schools throughout the state will participate in special ceremonies featured by planting of trees. Many of the Georgia Forestry Commission's 135 county forest rangers will work with school teachers, principals and superintendents in setting up the special programs. Forestry motion pictures will be shown at some schools; and at others forestry demonstrations will supplement. the actual tree planting ceremonies. These demonstrations will feature such forestry phases as reforestation, forest fire preven- tion, and forest management. Rangers in some areas will display their fire suppression equipment and show how the Commiss1on's twentieth-century system of forest fire detection operates. "Those pdrticipating in Arbor Day services. 11 said liUyton DeLoach, Director, Georgia Forestry Commission, "are dsked to keep in mind that the forests of Georgia and products derived from these forests are essential to the livEhood, well-being an<. recreation of the citizens of our state. We of" the Georgia Forestry Commission are asking that all Georgians join in rededicating themselves to the protection, preservation and perpetuation of their state's leading farm crop -- trees. 11 Arbor Day has been a tradition al observance in Georgia ever since 1890.,when the General Assembly decreed such an observance by all of the state's schools. Several dates were observed over the years, but in 1941 the General Assembly set the date as the third Friday in February, and that time has been so observed over the years. PINES FOR SCHOOLS--Atlanta students David Chauncey and Joyce Bradford plant one of the 2,000 loblolly pine seedli ngs donated by the Atlanta "oman's Club to ei~1t Atlanta schools for the dual rmrpose of beautifying the grounds and teaching students the principles of conservation. Cecil Clapp, U.S. Forest Service, and Mrs. " Beverly Johnson, President of the Atlanta " o ~ an' s Club observ e the p lantin~. Specialist Appointed Appointment of a veteran forestry consultant and farm forester to work with Georgia sawmill operators and to provide farmers and landowners with latest information on harvesting and market information was announced this week. Rufus H. Page Forest Utilization Specialist The forester, Rufus H. Page, who will be jointly employed by the Georgia Forestry Commission and the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, 1s planning a cooperative program of forest utilization research in Georgia as his first project in the state. He will be stationed at the Georgia Forestry Center near Macon. "This post of forest utilization specialist," said W. H. McComb, Georgia Forestry Commission's management chief, who announced the appointment, "is a newly created one. We feel that ~lr. Page's work and services soon will result in dollars and cents profits to the Georgia tree farmer and landowner as well as to the man who receives the raw rna t e rials (Continued on Pa~e 10) Pole Operation .. (Continued from Page 6) the cost of the operation and yields a sizeable profit also. The first pole thinning is made when t he stand is 25 to 30 years of age. This operaLion removes approximate! y 50 poles 35 to 40 fe et in length. The main cut of the 200 residual trees will be made when the trees are 30 to 35 years old and will produce class four, five and six poles 35 to 45 feet in length valued at approximately five dollars eac h. "We believe that our plan for growing slash pine poles," said Mr. Lies , "will produce a gros s return of $1,000 per acre within a 35 to 40 year period. 11 Mr. Lies feels that if he can continue to keep costs at a present level, he can make up to three prunings for less than ten cents per- tree. "The secret of this low pruning cost, 11 he remarked, "is that labor is acquired only one half day at a time, since saw pruning in this manne r is very tiring and the fatigue is exhausti ng after about four hours of work. Page Appointment .. (Continued from Page 9) produced by the tree farmer. This closer liason between producer a nd processor is a relationship which long has been needed in the state. 11 A graduate of N. C. State College in 1935, with a B. S. in forestry, Mr . Page has served as assistant extension forester for North Carolina, extension forester for Alabama; supervisor of the Bladen Lakes State Forest in North Carolina, as a consulting forester and pulpwood dealer, and procurement forester for paper and fibre c o nc e r ns . His work will include finding ways to utilize the less marketable hardwoods. He will serve as the Georgia liason with the worldfamous Forest Products Laboratory at Madison, Wis. SPEAKERS AT APS--G.E. Thompson, Professor, University of Georgia, (left photo), addresses the group at the American Phytopathological Society meeting in conjunction with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His subject was "The Decay of Oaks" . A. A. Foster, U.S. Forest Service, (right photo), speaks on "Modifications in Soils of Southern Pine Nurseries Produced by Fungicidal and Nematocida I Chemicals". Annual SAF. SPCA Meet .. (Continued from Page 4) the k e y no t e s p e a k e r s were "Trends in Pulpwood Marketing," A. I. Jeffords, Union Bag and Paper Company; "Hardwood Distribution from Stump to Use r ," Lee S. Settel, Appalachian Oak Flooring and Hardwood Corporation; and "Merchandising Southern Pine Lumber," Will iam C. Hammerle, Southeastern Pine Marketing In<;ti tute. Concluding what is said to have been a very successful annual SAF meeting Saturday evening was a banquet featuring a speech by. Henry Clepper, Executive Secretary of the Society of American Foresters. Conference .. (Continued from Page 7) J. Walte r Myers, Executive Secretary, Forest Farmers Association, pointed out that although the conference theme will be development of an active plan to battle the forest fire problem, the me eting's discussion points will not be confi ned to that topic alone. Management, reforestation, and information and education act1v1t1es also will come up for discussion during the sessions. (Continued from Page 2) Malsberger,GeneralManager-Forester of the Association, delivered his annual conservation report. Clint llivis, United States Forest Service, pointed out the results of forest fire prevention activities throughout the southern states, and Paul M. Dunn, St. Regis Paper Company, described the organization of fire suppression forces. llivis emphasized the high fire incidence and devastation in the South and urged the education of the judiciary as a step in the increased use of law enforcement in fire prevention. Speaking on the coordination of our potential fire suppression forces, Guyton DeLoach, Director, Georgia Forestry Commission, revealed that the Southeastern States Forest Fire Company Commission has been formed "in response to a demonstrated critical need for interstate regional cooperation in forest fire suppressionand the plan is now readyto be put into operation. 11 Other partie ipants on the 'fire suppression panel discussion were Frank A. Albert, United States Forest Service; F. H. Claridge, North Carolina Forest Service; J. F. McGowin, W. T. Snith Lumber Company and W. M. Oettmeier, Superior Pine Products Company, Georgia Forestry February, 1956 ~ ,] ' ~: ~. ~ ~~'\LI~) II'' ~ '',~~, -~ ~Y..b~~....a !>/' . ~-Only you can PREVENT FOREST FIRES! ~-Only you can PREVENT FOREST Fl RES! Elltered as second class matter at tlle post Office, Atlanta, Georgia 1ty of G~or~p.a cr."orqia