(' CI PI ) ' ; FORESTRY ,.? . ~--' I . .. _.~ GENEk hl l iBRARY MAR 1 ~-) 1956 ,-. UNIVb'\SITY OF GEOOtitA Arbor Day Celebrate~ . MARCH, 1956 GEORGIA FORESTRY Editorial Pine Seedling ''Southern Pine State'' ( From the LaGrange lliil y News ) Is Potential Economic Giant South Carolina is outbidding Georgia i n product i on of peaches, and we may be f orc ed to yield the t itle of " t he Peach State." The Georgia 1umber industry is produc i ng more Southern Pine lumber than any other state and it is estimated that total Southern Pine output for 1955 will be close to 10 per cent higher than in 1953. This is substantial evidence enough that Georgia could easily become the "Southern Pine State" should South Carolina like to trade in her Palmetto title for a Peach one. Georgia already lays claim to another title: Empire State of the South, tagging the section onto NewYork's original title. Actually, Southern Pine would also be a somewhat borrowed monicker, as Maine is known as the Pine Tree State. At any r ate , this is all to say t hat Georgia's forests are being improved to the point where even greater s upplies can be looked for in the fut ure. The p r o du c ts of Georgia's forests provide $561,000, 000 or 15 per cent of the three billion, 7 00 mill ion dollar total annual income of the state, according to the Southern Pine Association. Three thousand of the state' s 7, 100 manufacturing plants are sawmills. With the Georgia forests being built and prepared for even bigger, the potential is great. As housing demands grow -- and some experts go so far as to say that in les s than 25 years the housing demand will daub le, Georgia is in an excellent position to benefit from the lumber markets that would be opened. The new title would indeed be very appropriate. Vol. 9 GEORGIA FORESTRY March, 1956 Published Monthly by the GEORGIA FORESTHY COMMISSION, State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia Guyton DeLoach, Director No.3 Members, Board of Commissioners: K. S. Varn, Chairman ____________________________________ ____________________________Waycross Sam H . Mor gan ___________ Savannah C. M. Jordan , Jr.__________________Alamo John M. McElrath_____________ Macon H. 0 . Cummings _______ Donalsonville Georgia Forestry is entered as second class matter at the Post Office under the Act of August 24, 1912. Member of the Georgia Press Association. ED ITOR * * * * ________________ Ric~mrd E. Davis ASSOCIATE EDITOR - - -------- Donna Howard * * * DI STRICT OFFICES, GEORGIA FORESTR Y COMMISSION: DISTR ICT !-Route 2, DISTRICT VI-P. 0 . Box 505, St a t esboro Milledgeville DISTRICT 11-P. 0. Box 26, Camilla DISTRICT VII-Route 1, Rome DISTRICT III-P. 0. Box 169, Americus DISTRI CT VIII-P. 0. Box 811, waycr oss DISTRICT IV-P. 0. Box 333, DISTRICT IX-P. 0. Box 416, Newnan Gainesville DIST RICT V-P. 0. Box 328, Mc R a e DISTRICT X-P. 0. Box 302, Washington (From the Atlanta Journal) The p1ne seedling looks mighty frail and ineffectual when lifted from its nest of moss in a bucket and placed in the ground, At the moment, it is merely a baby getting a start in life. Someday, at maturity with all its brothers and sisters of the forest, it will be an economic giant. Forest products in one form or another, bring $750,000,000 to Georgia annually -- and the pine tree leads the forestry profits parade. The state's 24,000,000 acres of woodlands are, by all odds, her most valuable agricultural crop. With tree profits what they are, it's easy to understand why more and more landowners are turning to forestry. Idle land planted to seedlings is land that is producing. Eventually that means money. This year some 115,000,000 seedlings furnished by the Georgia Forestry Commission will be planted. Georgians may well take pride in this program -- a plan aimed at increasing our forestry resources. So, look kindly upon the humble little seedling. Protect- it from fire and human predators. Watch it grow in girth and height. Someday it will be worth its weight in timber, making a generous contribution to the state that gave it birth. MARCH, 1956 United South To Attack Forest Fire Problem The ' Governors a nd ClVlC and judicial leaders of 16 Southern states have united in an effort to attack the urgent problem of wildfires by endorsing a Southwide For est Fire Prevention Conference scheduled April 13- 14 w Ne w Or leans. Governor Marvin Griffin lS extending early invitations to civic, business and political leaders throughout the state urging them to attend the April meeting. Private citizens interested in the conservation of Southern woodlands are also invited to attend the Southern Forest Fire Prevention Conference. Guyton DeLoach, Di r e c tor, Georgia Forestry Commission, ex- pressed his hope that Georgians plan now to be a part of this "united movement toward the pre- vention of disastrous forest fires." He stressed the fact that "fire prevention is the paramount need in any state ' s fore s try pro- gram. " "Georgi a has an average of approximate ly 10,000 wildfires each year," s aid the Director (C I and though the s t ate has made outstanding progress in reducing fire loss t hrough improved fire suppression, there still remains a formidable job in fire preventioo." 'The Georgia General Assernbl y has resolved to give wholehearted endorsement and support to the Conference and has urged at tendance and participation by law enforcement personnel, public officials and private citizens. The resolution adopted by the Legislature states that "it is mandatory that means of preventing fires determined and that all Georgians join vigorously in the effort to prevent destructive wildfires, thereby r educing the more than 10,000 fires, heret ofore occurring each year in this state.' ' The Georgia Forestry Commission has begun a wide publicity campaign to promote interest and e nthusiasm for the New Or l e ans Conference. In addition to the Legislature 's resolution of support, the meeting is being promoted through media of press, r adio, television and pe r s onal contacts. Gov e rnor Griffin ha s appointed Kirk Sutlive, Union Bag and Pape r Company, Savannah, chai r man of the FEATIJREU CONFERENCE SPEAKERS--Presiding at the first-Gey meeting of tl1e Southern Forest Fire Prevention Conference will be \\arren T. \\hite, Assistant Vice President of Seaboard Airline Railway, (at left) . Mrs. 01ester E. Marti~. President of the Southeastern Council of State Federations, -:ill speak 011 " b t Forest Fire Prevention \I!Ould Mean To \\Omen." ff ""-- ~~ /' ~ .. l ... ( ~ JOHN A. SIBLEY Keynotes Fire Prevention Conferen Georgia c ommittee for the Conference. In the two-day meet~ng, the participants will reVlew the growth of wood-using industries and their importance to the South, and will concentrate on programs and methods which could be adapted to arouse Southwide public awareness of the acute fire prevention proble m. "Delegates will study existing education and public opinion t ools which can be used on a Southwide basis," stated Mr. DeLoac h in explaining the i ntegrated parts of t he SFFPC. "The de l egate s will l e arn how successful l ocal programs are ope ra ted.," he c ontinued, "and how to a pply them in other localities ." Pres iding at the opening meeting of the Confere nce will be Chairman Warren T. Wh ite, Assistant Vice President of Seaboard Airline Railwa y . Robe r t F. Kennon, Gover nor of Louisi ana, will give the official we l come from the host state f oll owed by a welcome to New Orleans by Mayor de Lesseps S. Mor rison. Don Johnson, President of the North C1.rol ina Forestry Assoc iat i on, will give tne re- sponse t o the welcomes by Governor Kennon and Mayor Morrison. The keynote address will be given by John A. Sibley, Trus t Company of Georgi a. (Continued on Page 9) S'IWHENS COUN1Y 4-H' er HAS DUAL PHASE FORESTRY PROGRAM--- James Stowe, enterprising farm youth of the Tom's Creek Commun- ity in Stephens Count:J', is making great strides in his forest:ry project under the co-direction of Stephens County Forest Ranger Owen J, Dean and County Agent Fred Newman, long-time forestry proponent. Since 1942, James and his father have hand-planted more than 6500 seedlings and have returned previously idle acres to production. Young Stowe is now thinning the area originally planted in 1942 aud is practicing integrated utili- zation with the removal and sale of both pulpwood and fuel wood and at the same time leaving an excellent stand of high quality trees for a future sawlo.g harvest. In the photo at the top, James Stowe, center, measures stump to show rapid growth to Stephens County Agent Fred Newman, left, and County Forest Ran- ger Owen Dean. In the photo below, left, James Stowe proudly points out features of his " forest bank" to Newman, Dean, and Ed Kreis, ~1anagement Forester. At right, below, Kreis marks a defective tree for removal in the pulpwood thinning as James Stowe observes. -~-'\ p ~; i Jt ' .. ( _,_; '-~ -I . ,. ... . ' . / ._.~J f} . j~/, ~>~~ . ~. {1-: ~ <-; :; - e~atio~e ~ttt4 Paued Forestry in Georgia moved forward another step with the passage of key woodland conservation bills by the recent session of thP. Georgia General Assembly, according to announcement by Guyton DeLoach, Director, Georgia Forestry Commission. The bills provided for the notification of County Forest Rangers by landowners prior to burning and for the clarification of offenses resulting from woods burning, and for the reconveyance by the Forestry Commission of tower sites upon abandonment. The notification law provides that "before any person, firm, corporation or association shall burn any woods, lands, marshes or other inflammable or combustible materials, notice of the time and place must first be given to the County Forest Rangers or to any other employee or official of the County Forestry Unit serving such county. " Failure to give such notice is a misdemeanor. This law is subject to county option. (Continued on Page 10) w. ; I . ?' ...J MARCH, 1956 LITTLE TREE KILLER--Julian Reeves, Assistant District Forester of the fourth district, uses a Little Tree Killer to deaden a hardwood. GIRDLING HARDWOODS--Sam Thacker, Assistant Chief of Forest Management, deadens a hardwood with a Little Beaver Tree Girdler as Bob Means, Farm Manager, observes. In photo below, Sam Thacker demonstrates use of a chemical sprayer on a tree stump too small for deadening by the frill method. Rabun Gap Introduces Forestry To Curriculu:m. Rabun Gap --Nacoochee Farm School in the heart of the Blue Ridge MOuntains -- once again has taken a step toward the advancement of educational opportunities for tenant farmers of North Georgia. This most recent step forward is the addition of a series of field demonstrations in forestry to the school's program. Unique in its nationwide recognition as a "family plan farm school '', Rabun Gap is surrounded by a circle of 1, 200 acres divided into separate farms on which whole families are admitted as student farmers for terms limited to five years . H. L. Fry, vocational agricul ture instructor and instigator of the new forestry project, explained the purpose of the field demonstrations. He said "The object is to place the 800 to 1000 acres of the school's forest land under modern forest management. " " Not only does the school stand to benefit from this project ," he continued, " but farmers and landowners throughout this region will gain f r om 1:-he progress made in forest management by adapting suggested possible solutions for their existing forestry problems. " The first of these planned forestry demonstrations was conducted on school property in mid January through the coordinated efforts of Mr . Fry and Bob Means, school vocational agriculture instructors and hosts for the occasion, T. H. Davidson, Soil Conservation Service , and forest management personnel of the Georgia Forestry Commission. The field session was opened by a welcome from Mr. Fry who later summarized the school's plan of forestry instruction. Pointing out a tract of timber that was prod\lcing "practically nothing of commercial value," he said, "the object of these field demonstrations in forestry i s to learn how to turn such land i nto a productive investment. " More than 50 l an down ers, students and farm fami lies attending the demonstration heard Sam Thacker, Assistant Olief of Forest Management, Georgia Forestry Commission, and Sam Martin, Assistant ~strict Forester, Gainesville, discuss methods and recommend procedures for the general application of timber stand irrprovements for Virginia Pine. ( Continued on Page 10) DEADENING HARDWOODS--Bob Means, Farm Manager of the Rabun Gap School, shows the school's agriculture class how to deaden a hardwood by using a Little Tree Killer to inject chemicals into the root collar of the tree. -- ""'.I -.__ -- . .. ;;;;;:::: l :'./..l..< TO INSURE UNIFORMITY, all pallets are nailed together with weatherproof, cement-coated screw-shank nails which, once hammered into place, cannot be removed. OAK LUMBER in odd dimensions, dried and planed, is purchased locally and cut into proper lengths for the manufacture of pallets of all sizes. (Bottom photo), Harold J, Bish, president and general manager of the firm, points out the large stock of oak pallets maintained by the company for filling rush orders. Hardwood Utilized For Pallets The College Park Manufacturing Company in Atlanta is devoted exclusively to the manufacture of hardwood pallets in quantity, creating a market for the lower grades of oak 1urrher. The Company builds standard pallets for warehouse use, as well as pallets in any specification for special requirements. Built for solidarity and strength, these pallets have many uses in businesses where quantities of merchandise must be stored for any length of time and then be moved by forklift machines or pallet jacks to trucks, railroad cars, or other transports. Pallets of this type are extensively used by warehouses, manufacturing plants, contractors, chemical firms, truckers, railroads, and many other concerns which store and hand 1 e large inventories. The College Park Manufacturing Company was established originally in the city of College Park. As the business grew, the firm moved to larger quarters on Marietta Street. In September of 1955 the firm was purchased by the H. R. Bish Company and was moved to the present location a month later. In making pallets, the company uses oak lumber exclusively. Lumber of any species of oak in off dimension, dryed and planed, and in grades averaging 3 pounds will be purchased by the company at rates of $35 to $40 perM. B. F. delivered to the plant yard. To insure uniformity all pallets are hand nailed. All are assembled with weatherproof cementcoated screw-shank nails, which, once hammered into place, cannot be removed. Oak is the ideal hardwood to use for this purpose because of its sturdiness 1n the support of heavy 1oads. In addition to regular pallets and those built to certain specifi- (COntinued on Page 10) MAR C H, 1956 6 Rangers In The News The Hermitage Lookout Tower, which has stood for 19 years as a sentinel towering over the forests of Floyd County, has at long last fulfilled its potential obligationa and will soon be but a memory - aa indelible memory in the mind of its tower operator who has spent 16 years with the old wooden structure. The Georgia Forestry Commis s ion is replacing the shackled, unbalanced tower with a new all-steel structure , but Joseph C. Lowery, i t s active , 80-year-old .. fire spotter" will remain on the job when t he ne w towe r is in operation. Reminisc ing his experiences with the diminishing old tower, Lowery said, .. I've been perfectlyhappy doing this kind of work, and I've no intention of retiring." He remarked that in severe storms the tower .. becomes too shaky for comfort, and I make haste to the cabin on the ground." Lowery lives with his wife not far from Hermitage . rowe r opera tor Joseph c. Lowery grins his approval of the new tower construction. Faithful fire spotter" for 16 years, he anticipates working in the new all-steel tower. Climbing the 192 steps several times each day, the white-haired, stocky Mr. Lowery said .. don't l et these white hairs fool you. I was gray at 30. I'll give anybody a half way lead up the tower steps and still beat them to the top. " lliring his 16 yea r s on t he job, he has been away from work but one day due to i llness. Mr. Lowery looks forward to the building of the new tower, the foundation of which has already been laid. He was offered the lumber from the old tower for the framework of a new house he's planning, but dec lined it. "\\hy I'd never sleep,'' he said, "these old t imbers might just keep on swaying." Oblivious to no one who knows the faithful tower operator, there was an obvious sign of regret in his voice as he r emarked of the tower, ""I'll be right glad to see it come down.'' NEW ORLEANS Th e Wayn e County For est r y Unit under th e d ire ction o f Ra nge r Bill Morr is re centl y brou ght HERMITAGE LOOKOUT TOWER- - For 19 years a sentinel p rote cti n g Floyd county's woodl a nds, thi s old, wooden tower is being replaced by a ne w s tee l stru ctu r~ a thre a tening fire under control i n Wayne County through team work by the Unit's patrol plane and tractors. The fire was suppressed with a minimum of area burned or damaged. M. L. Ch adwick, water truck dri ver, James Cunningham and Clayton Beecher, tractor operators did especially comme n dable and efficient work in s uppr essing the fire. GEORGIA FORESTRY 7 Pine Tree Festival To Attract Thousands The eleventh annual observance of Emanuel County 's colorful Pine Tree Festival will fill a 10-day period with activities accentuating the general theme of good forestry and conservation. On the first day of the observance, April 17, the Pine Tree Festival King and Queen chosen from the four high schools in the county will be crowned. A Prince and Princess selected from the grammar schools will share the 10-day reign of the Festival. Mr. &bby Sasser, Swainsboro, Chairman of the Festival, declared "the plans for this eleventh anniversary Pine Tree Festival are extensive and the event is expected tohave adefinite progressiveeffect on county-wide and state-wide forestry programs." "The entire county including businessmen, schools, civic organizations, farmers and landowners will participate in the festive events," said the Chairman. On the day of the Festival, Friday, April 27, Mayor Ralph Smith will present his welcoming address. The program will include announcements and presentation of winners of the declamation, essay and poster contests, the Tree Farm award, and exhibit and parade float winners. Special guests will be introduced by Mayor Smith. Forestry exhibits in store windows along with.decorative flower arrangements will add to the enhancement of the special highlighting events of the Festival Day. At 10 a. m. high school bands, military bands and the Savannah Schrine Band will join in a sprightly parade featuring clowns and 25 or 30 gailydecorated floats bearing various forestry themes. The Queen's Pine Tree Ball will be held on Wednesday evening before the Festival. The Queen will be the "Bell" not only of the ball, but of the square dance which is to be RALPH CLARKE, CATOOSA COUNTY RANGER, (right), appears on WDEF-TV station in Chattanooga, Tennessee as guest of Luther Massengale, (left), on "Luther's Hour" The program is a special feature on tree identification. ------- J /~.!.. I IIR. DOBBY SASSER Pine Tree Festival Chairman include.d 1n the evening's entertainment. During the Festival Day, two showings of the King's Circus will be presented for the delight of all county citizens and observers. Under the supervision of Leon Ray, Emanuel County Forest Ranger, the city of Swainsboro will be "trans formed" into a forest-1 ike area through the distribution of pine trees - natural decorations for the observance of Emanuel County's famed Pine Tree Festival. Commemorating the sixty-fifth anniversary of Arbor Day, Feb- ruary 17, were youth groups throughout the state including schools, civic clubs and agri- cultural organizations. All io eyes were focused on the small pine seellling as the tree plant- ing demonstrations occurred on practically every scnool ground in Georgia. Rangers and fores- ters of the Georgia Forestry Commission provided special aids and program material to make this 1956 Arbor Uay a red-letter day honoring nature's invaluable gift to our state... trees. Polk County Management Demonstration Profitable forestry was the keynote of a full-scale woodland managerrent demonstration held January 24 at the Roy Lewis fann five miles north of Cedartown. More than sixty farmers and landowners attended the demonstration which was a successful feature of Polk County's Keep Green activities. The afternoon program began with a welcome by Roy Lewis, followed by introductions by Johnny Stowe, County Agent and master of ceremonies for the occasion. Topics discussed were "Land Use", D. C. Williams, Soil Conservation Service; "IIow and \\hy to Thin Timber Stands," Floyd Iiubbard,Jr., Assistant District Forester, Georgia Forestry Commission, and "The Keep Green Contest," Reverend J. H. Swint. Frank Craven, District Forester, Rome, conducted a thinning contest, and Janes Carter, Polk County Ranger, out- 1ined forestry progress in Polk County and explained the procedure for ordering tree seedlings. ''How to Get A. S. C. Payments on Forestry Practices," was dis- REMOVING TREES--Frank Craven, Seventh District Forester, points out proper methods of improvement cutting of pine stands as he prepares to remove an undesirable tree. cussed by Glen Osborne, and Herman Scoggin, Investigator, Georgia Forestry Commission, explained Georgia's fire laws. Concluding the program was a summary by Dorsey Dyer, Forester, Georgia Extension Service. A highlight of the event was the announcerrent of winners in the thinning contest and the awarding of prizes by T. A. Willingham, Chairman, Polk County Forestry Board. In appreciation of the large attendance at the demonstration, both Willingham and Carter emphasized the fact that Polk County is "putting forth great effort in the statewide Keep Georgia Green Contest and is aiming at being among the winners when prizes are awarded in May." Both stressed the fact "that 100 per cent coopera- tion and participation by all citizens of the county is essential to make a good showing in the contest" and that "work in the contest will pay Polk County rich dividends in conserving the forest resources." TIIINNING DEMONSTRATION--Polk County Ranger J.J . Carter conducts a thinning demonstration to determine which trees should be removed from the pine stands. As landowners mark each tree, Ranger Carter checks for the advantages and disadvantages of allowing the tree to stand (bottom left photo). Polk Countians gather around Tom Ramke, Tennessee Valley Authority, as he awards prizes to winners of the thinning contest (right photo). Tree Plantings Mark Observance 0 Arbor Day NEW BOARD MEMBER-- Oscar Garrison, ( left), is congratul a ted by Go v ernor ~) a r v in Gri f fin after being sworn into office as a membe r of th e Board o f co mmis s ione rs of the Georgia Forestry Commi s si on . Fire Prevention Conference (Continued fr om Page 2 ) Featured in the Friday morning program is Mrs. Ol.es t e r E. Ma r t in, Pr eside n t o f t he Sou t heas t e rn Council of Sta te Federation s . Mr s . Ma r tin has as he r s ubject, "\\hat For es t Fire Preven t ion Would Mean To Wanen" . Frank Ahlgren , Memp his Edi to r of the " Commercial Appea l" , wil 1 speak on " Fires Gri m To l 1 In Southern Forests." The fi'rst speaker on the afternoon panel is scheduled to be Orval E. Faubus, Governor of Arkansas, who will point out "What We Ne~..:d To Ib To End The South's Forest Fire Problem." Clint Davis, U. S. Forest Service, will then be featured as he discusses "How To End The Forest FireProblem Through Education." Persuing the same answer, Boyce Holloman, [hstrict Attorney in Wiggins, Mississippi, will tell how the current problem can be solved through laws and cour ts. James E. Mixon, Louisiana State Forester, will discuss how to attack the fire problem through the e n for ceme nt a nd i nvestigation of laws. Summarizingthe panel dis c us sions will be Baris Drew, Chief Justice of the Fl orida Superior Court. The first day' s mee ting will be c oncluded with a s ocial hour and a banque t at 7: 30 at whic h time Stanley F. Horn , Editor of t he " Southern Lumbe rman", will s erve as t oas tmaste r and Sec r etar y of Agr icu l t ur e Ezra Taft Be nson wi ll be intr oduced as princ ipa l speake r . Saturday mornin g at 10:00 a workshop e nti t l ed " Citi ze ns ' Fire Prevention Pr ogr ams," is sc hedu led. Chairman f pr the second day of the Conference will be Harris S. Moosebrook, of the Na t ur a l Resour ce Department of the U. S . Chamber of Commerce. The subjects that will be discussed at the Saturday meeti ng and the speakers of each subject are: "Organiz ing Our Programs Back Home" - James W. Craig, Mississi ppi; "Our Public Opinion Tools" - The sixty- fift h anniversary of Arbor Day highlight e d Ly t r ee plantings and c onservation ceremonies was observed February 17 by schools , c ivic clubs and youth groups throughout the state. County forest range rs o f t he Georgia Forestry Commi ss ion playe d an important part in Arbor Day a ct iviti es , working wi th schoo l of f icials in setting up s pecial pr ogr ams for the var ious sc hool s . In s ome a r eas , range r s demons trate d how f ire s uppress i on equipme nt is oper a t ed with e mphas i s placed on the twentie th- century s ys t em of f or est f i r e detecti on. Through the aid o f moti on pi c ture s and s implif ied f orestry de monstra-tions , schoo l c hildre n o f a ll ages r e alized t he t r ue me a ning of Arbor Day - - a day commemor a ting tr ees a nd obse rve d by t he act ual tr ee p lant i ng pr ocess. Pr i nciples of for est conservation were taugh t du ring Arbor Day. Along with the tree pl a nti ng cere monies came a less on in reforestation- -a lesson t ha t emphasized the annua l planti ng a nd ha r vesti ng of tree crops. Arbor Day was f irst obs e rved on a statewide bas i s in 1891. Unt il 1941, it wa s c e lebrat ed on the f i r s t Tuesday in December, but it was c hanged in 1941 by legi s lative dec r ee to the third Fr iday in Fe bruary. He nry C. Wehd e , J r., a r ep r esen tat i ve of the Nat i onal Adverti sing Council, and " Ou r Law En forceme n t Responsibilit i es " by John W. Squires, Mississippi Fo r estry Association. (COntinued from Page 3) Under the woods burning law a person committing the following acts i s guilty of a felony: willfully, maliciously or without cause, setting on fire the lands of another; starting a fire on one's own land or lands which he has leased or under his control with the intent of letting it escape to the lands of another; the destruction or injuring of, or theft of, any telephone line, towers, buildings, tools or equipment used in the detection, reporti ng, or suppression of fires. These offenses are punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary for not less than one and not more than two years. The bill concerning tower sites provides for the acquisition by the Commission of small tracts of land to be used as forest fire lookout towers and the reconveyance by the Corrmission of such tower sites when they cease to be used and are abandoned. The bill also authorizes reconveyance of all tower sites previously acquired as gifts by the Commission which have since been abandoned. dlrvulwooJ Pallet&, .. (COntinued from Page 5) cations, the company also makes a special-type pallet designed for use by bricklayers and fireproofing concerns. The company carried a large inventory of 32" x 40" and 48" x 48" size pallets to fill rush orders for customers who need pallets on short notice. Pallets to meet all needs are built by the firm. A large percentage of all pallets produced are sold locally, but orders from. South Georgia are often filled. Freight cost is a major consideration in the placing of orders which require 1engthy hauls. Harold R. Bish is president and general manager. Barto W. Wilkins is sales manager, and John W. Harris production manager of this Atlanta pallet-making concern. COMPETE IN KEEP WILKERSON COUNTY GREEN BEAUTY CONTEST-Pictured above are the contestants of the Wilkerson County beauty contest and talent show to be held March 22 in the coun- ty high school auditorium. This 'Keep Green' feature is sponsored by the Lord Uatfield American Legion Post 253. Rabun Gap Demonstration (COntinued from Page 4) Mr. Martin told the group that "trees are in many ways similar to your agricultural crops in that maximum timber yields are obtained only when quality stock is grown under desirable growing conditions." "\\hen overstocking is permitted," he continued. "the growth volume is not only reduced, but it is spread over a very large number of stems which are usually non-merchantable." The field group was thoroughly briefed on the importance of forest r e gene r at ion by Sam Thacker. "Reproduction may be acquired naturally or by artificial means", he said, "but in either case the species should be controlled with consideration to site and availablemarkets for the endproducts." T. A. Davidson, soil conservationalist and advocator of good forestry, cited the case of Grover Wilson in Clayton, Georgia. He related that the Wilson tract was a typical North Georgia stand of pine timber that was offered for sale at an estimated value of $1, 000. The owner, hearing of the advantages of good f o r e s try, sought technical assistance and had this timber marked and cut selectively. The volume removed sold for $3,000, which was considerably more than the original estimated value, and the tract was left with an adequately stocked stand in a good growing condition. The management of commercial hardwoods and the problem of scrub hardwood invasion in pine stands was the topic discussed by Julian Reeves, Assistant District Fore s ter of Newnan. He reminde d landowners and farmers that "good hardwoods are valuable and should definitely be considered i n any forest management plan covering sites which have suffi c i e nt quality to grow t hem." He emp hasized, however, that the " i nvasion of non-commercial or s crub hardwoods is today the number one forestry problem throughout t he state, " and that "one ac r e out o f everythree ofGeorgia' s24,00 0,000 acres of forest s is dominated by undesirable hardwoods which are producing nothing of commercial value." "This land must be reclaimed and made commercial l y product i ve agai n ," stated Mr. Re eves, "but how it is to be ac complished is not exactl y known." Concluding the sessi on was a detailed demonstra t ion of the most s uccessful methods of har dwood eradication presented by f orest management personnel of t he Georgi a Forestry Commission. Georgia Forestry March, 1956 SOUTHERN FOREST FIRE // l P~EVENTION NFE~ENCE Entered as second class matter at t:lle post Office, Atlanta, Georgia ( 0