Georgia forestry, Vol. 9, no. 5 (May 1956)

KEEP GREEN WINNERS

\cv I

4 ,..

..,- L

}

lfNfRAl liBRARY
MAY ~ u 195
w.IIVERSITY Of GE~~

., .
.. ~ .. j

eorgia Editors Support Fire Prevention

Georgia's daily and weekly press - mighty po1re 1 for for~stry - has given outstanding support o forest fire prevention efforts in the state. Publishers, editors and newspaper staf fs have b~en in the forefront in the drive to crystalli7 public opinion and bring concerted ac-

tion to reduce the forest fire loss resulting from carelessness and woods arson. ~o cartoonists, John Raymond, Macon Telegraph, and Cliff Baldowski, Atlanta Con s titution, have contributed their efforts and t~lents in support of fire prevention.

MAY, 1956 2

t/)o.IU!&i t/)i~

Rs ae . ~

~Jvuua;lt
fleo.'Ufta

Destructi ve f orest fires last mont h r avaged more than 20, 000 acres of forestlands in Southeast Geor gia with the destruction center ed i n a Chatham County area sou t hwest of Pooler. Record high wi nds and tinder dry conditions combined with woods arson and human carelessness to cause thousands of dollars worth of loss to some of Georgia's most valuable timberlands.
Three major fires in Chatham and Effingham Counties believed to have been maliciously set merged i nto one giant blaze burning more than 15,000 acres of valuable timberland, destroying a house and a fire-fighting vehicle and resulting in the death of an air patrol pilot.
A force of 150 firefighters from the Georgia Forestry Corrmission, Gair Woodlands, Inc., and Union Bag and Paper Company, a long with many vo l unteer wor kers and 25 tractor and plow suppression units was concentrated against t he raging fire. Newspaper head1 ines and radio and television news reports carried graphic ac-
(Con tinued on Page 10)

Dodge C ops Top Spot In Keep Green Con test

The coveted top place in the annual Keep Georgia Green Contest, sponsored by the Georgia Forestry Association, this year was won by Dodge County with the second place honor going to Greene County.
Honorable mention awards went to Lincoln, Bleckley and Ben Ilill Counties, runners-up in the contest, and Crisp County was named sweepstakes winner i n competition with Stephens County.
Dodge, as reigning top county, was awarded first prize of $1000 accepted by Mr. W. S. Jessup. District 5, headed by rnstrict Forester Turner Barber, led other districts in the contest, with a total of five counties in competition for the Keep Green awards. For this honor District 5 was awarded $50. Dodge County's top honor also won an additional $50 prize for the District.
Greene County, represented by W. R. Johns on, received $500 as second place winner in the contest. As runners-up, Lincoln, Bleckley

and Ben Hill Counties were awarded $100 each. These counties wer e represented by B. B. Ro ss , W. H. Griffin and W. E. Tuggle, respectively. Fifty per cent of all counties entering the Keep Green Contest remained in competition until the end of the contes t.
Winners were announced by Kirk Sutlive, Union Bag_and Paper Company, at the Keep Green Luncheon which culminated the joint meeting of the Georgia Forestry Association, the Georgi a Chapter of the Society of American Foresters and the Alumni Association of the University of Georgia School of Forestry in Savannah May 4.
Forest Rangers of the winning counties are: Dodge, J. D. Beauchamp; Greene, H. E. Moore; Barrow, George Bower; Wilkinson, H. D. Billue; Dougherty, George J. Shingler; Schley, L. S. Tondee; Bryan, James Richey; Pike, John A. Osbolt; Bleckley, Hall Jones; Lincoln, WilliamS. Partridge, Jr., and Ben IIi 11, J. C. Bowen.

KEEP GllliEN \Hl\NEHS--Rangers of winning counties in the Keep Green Con test are pictured at the Keep Green Award Luncheon. (Left to right):
II . E. Moore, Greene couuty; James Ridley, Bryan COunty; uubert Billue, \Hlki nson Coml t:.Y; John Osbol t, Pike County; George Shingler, ooughert,y County; L. S. Tondee, Schley County; J.D. Beauchamp, [lOdge County and
George Bower, Barrow county. Kirli ~tli ve, (center), presented the award<;.

William Allen Powell
1932 - 1956
Mr . Powell was k illed while flying air patrol in active support of crews fighting forest fires near Savannah, April 6. Mr. Powell was born in Athens, Georgia and resided in Decatur.
The Georgia Forestry Commission and foresters and conservationists throughout the state join in extending deepest sympathy to the family of Mr. Powell.

GEO RG I A FORESTRY 3

Southern Forest Fires Attaclced At Conference

"The South must grea t ly i mprove the management of its forests in order to realize the full potential of its woodlands," John A. Sibley, Chairman of the Board, Trust Company of Georg ia, told Southerners last month at the Southern Forest Fire Pr evention Conference in Ne w Or l eans .

Gene ral Federa t ion of Women's Clubs. Mrs. Mar ti n stress ed t he i mportance of school t ra i n i ng i n fo r estry ''to prevent some of the wi ldfires of t anorrow. " "We ne ed conservati on education 1n the schools," stat ed Mrs. Mart i n. '' The women of the South mus t be come interested in conservat i on

WHAT'S IN A PINE CONE?- -The t r e e crops of tomorrow, agree John E. McElrath and Ivy W. Duggan as they are pictured in a
discussion in front of one of the exhibits at the Southern Forest
Fire Prevention Conference.

and do something about it." Mrs. Martin stated emphatically.

John A. Sibley

Mrs. Chester E. Martin

Southern Forest Fi re Prevention Conference Speakers

Frank Ahlgren, editor of the Memphis "Commercial Appe al", called for more act i on on the part of the public to s ee that forest fire laws are e nforced. It was his belief that "if legislators should sincere ly study the problem and our enforcement agencies under-
( Continued on Page 10)

Approximately 1400 r e presentatives of 16 Southern states met to initiate a united attack against the destructive wildfires which ravage Southern woodlands. With this determination the common concern of all Conference participants, the history-making gathering formed a new meeting ground for all segments of the population in combining efforts in fire prevention.

PROMINENT GEORGIANS AT FIRE PREVENTION CONFERENCE--Pictured between sessions of the Southern Forest Fire Prevention conference in New Orleans are leaders in the state's delegation.
Left t o right , Kirk Sutlive, Georgia Conference chairman; J.E. McElrath , Chairman, Board of Commissioners, Georgia Forestry Commi ss ion; Samuel J. Boykin, Judge, Superior Court; Otto Lindh, Regional Forester ; Ivy W. Ouggan, Vice Presiden t , Trus t Company of Georgia; Downing Musgrove, Clinch County Representative; E. R. Hin e, Assistant Regional Forester, and Harvey Brown, Executive Secretary, GeOrgia Forestry Association.

Mr. Sibley, keynote speaker of the Conference, said, "The South is backward in many respects in the care and management of its forests." In suggesting "needed improvements" , Mr. Sibley included: full stands on all lands; culls replaced by better trees; cutting waste lessened; better cutting practices and control of loss by fire, dis<>ase and insects.

Another Georgia speaker at the Conference was Atlanta's Mrs. 'J-lester E Martin, President of
he Southe stern Council of the

MAY, 1956

g Forest Farmers

pu,e d)edwat

Hold Conference ~'Uim4 AltUUf <J~

In Charleston
Timberland owners from 15 southe r n states gathered in Charl eston, S. C. on April 19 and 20 for the 15th annual Southern Forestry Conference of the Forest Far mer s Association. Meeting disc ussi on centered around ways and means to solve the forest fire problem i n the South.
The program featured timely discussions by his Excellency Erik Boheman, Ambassador from Sweden; Honorable Herman E. Talmadge, former Governor of Georgia; U. S. Congressman L. Mendel Rivers of South Carolina; retired Brigadier General W. E. Brougher of Atlanta, prominent lecturer and
writer; Dr. R. F. Poole, president
of Clemson College and several southern state foresters.
The c on f e r e n c e opened on Thursday morning wi t h words of welcome followed by a report by Frank Heyward, Jr., Forest Farmer Director from Louisiana, on the Southern Forest Fire Prevention Conference held in New Or leans April 12-13.
J. V. Whitfield, association president from Burgaw, N. C., presented his annual report on assoc iation activities and affairs. Honorable Herman E. Talmadge, ardent forestry leader, keynoted the conference theme with an address on "Selective Action - Key to the Forest Fire Problem".
Presentation of the Annual Forest Farmer award was made at the association luncheon by Award Committee Chairman Don J. Weddell to fanner Governor Herman Talmadge.
Friday's program featured discussions on "The Role of Interstate Campacts"; "Forest Fire Problems Peculiar to the Upper South"; "The Place of Prescribed Burning"; "Forest Fire Insurance"; "A New Fire Tool - Weather
Modification", and "Fire Re-
(Con tinued on Page 10)

Gala festivities in Swainsboro last month attracted thousands of Georgians as Fmanuel County observed its eleventh annual Pine Tree Festival. Tribute was paid to the Georgia pine through a series of traditionally colorful activities spotl i ghting fores t conservation.

Ernest Rogers Pine Tree Festival Speaker
The entire county participated in the special f estivities to make the 1956 Pine Tree Festival "one of the most colorful and successful ever to be presented in Emanuel County," according to Mr. Bobby Sasser, Committee Chairman of the Festival.
The 10-day celebration was eli-

PINE TREE FESTIVAL ROYAL1Y--1be 1956 King and Queen of tile Pine Tree Festival, Sollie JOpley and Meredith Jenkins, pose with Prince Jim Rountree and Princess Pat Williams.
maxed by a parade led by the military band from Ft. Gordon and followed by the Alee Shrine band, four high school bands and eyecatching, decorative floats representing schools, businesses and civic organizations.
(Continued on Page 7)

SWAINSBORO HIGH HEADS SCHOOL FLOAT ENTRIES--Smiles radiate from a boat- full of beauties who ride on the winning swainsboro High School float bearing tile theme, "Light lhe Way With Pines."

.,...._._--
SWRINSBDAO HIGHSCHOOl

6
fires Ravage SE Georgia Timberlands

Fires fanned b record high winds destroyed mo e than 20, 000 acres of fores tl arll in Southeast Georgia in Apri l . The searing blazes in Georgi a , the result of human carelessnessand woods arson, followed clll 1ely a disastrous North Flor i a fire, photo 1, which thre a t ened valuable Georgia timberl and and was held at bay by Fore s t ry Commission firefighters.
2. Commi ss i oa fire patrol plane scouts blaze.

3. HeavY suppression plow line in front of Chatham county blaze.
4. Convicts give valuable aid
in moppingwup Chatham County fires.
5. Bloodhounds were used to track down fire bugs. Commission Fire Investigator W.E. Lee, backgrornld directs dog handler.
6. Chatham county Forest Ranger Ernest Edwards points out dwelling that was leveled by destructive fire.

GEORGIA FORESTRY 7

New Seedling

Distribution

Approximate! y 1500 turpentinegum producers and repres entatives of associated industries gathered at Valdosta recently for the twentieth annual meeting of the American Turpe ntine Farmers Association.
An anticipated highpoint of the meeting was the crowning of the 1956 "Miss Spirit of Turpentine", a vivacious 16-year old red-haired beauty from Lorena, Mississippi, Miss Linda Carol Eldridge. Runner-up in the contest was pretty Betty Repoff of Jacksonville, Florida.
Staged amid the gum-producing trees of Lowndes County on the 4-H Club camp ground, the entire program of the meeting pointed to the vastness of the naval stores industry which centers around this section of the state. Program rosters were in the shape of turpentine bottles and exhibits of various products were displayed throughout the grounds.
Gum producers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Georgia attended the annual convention, the theme of which accentuated plans for a bright new future for the industry. Harley Longdale, ATF A, Valdosta, told the group that he was '' optimistic about the future of our industry in the face of last year's low production." The gum

LINDA ELDRI[)(E, ' 56 1\.lrpentine Q.Jeen, receives crmm from retiring queen Majorie HYers.
production in 1955 was the lowest in the history of the organization.
A program highlight was a displ ay of 50 items originating from farm products as a result of research by the U. S. Department of
Agriculture. Mr. FrankL. Teuton,
Agricultural Research Service, Washington, D. C., pointed out the many potential uses of gum products.

Pine Tree Festival..

(Continued from Page 4)

Adding beaut y to the lead float was this year's Queen, high school junior Meridith Je nkins. Accompanying the Queen on the float were King Sollie Tapley, Princess Patricia Williams and Prince Jirrrny Rountree.
Winner in the school di vision of the float contest was Swai nsboro High, which also won t he Exchange Club trophy for the best

all-cYass float. In the organizations division, the Swainsboro Exchange Club won first place with the Swainsboro Garden Club second and Swainsboro Junior Chamber of
Commerce third. Union Bag &Paper
Company won first place in the commercial division, with Gair Woodland and Sims Piggly Wiggly Store winning second and third places.

Program Set
T he new seedl ing distr ibution program for 1956-57 includes plans for the production of approximate! y 130, 000, 000 seedlings, a record goal set for the Corrrnission' s four nurseries, according to a recent announcement from Guyton I::eLoach, Georgia Forestry Corrrnission.
More than 112,000,000 seedlings were shipped from the ~visboro, Hert y, Horseshoe Bend and Hightower Nurseries to Georgia planters during the 1955-56 planting s eason. These seedlings represent enough trees to reforest 140,000 acres of land in our state, according to Sanford P. ~rby, Jr. , Chief of Reforestation, Georgia Forestry Commission.
In reviewing the changes in this year's seedling distribution program. Mr. DeLoach pointed out that during past years, orders have been received and invoices mailed to landowners calling their attention to the fact that a specified amount was due for each order. In the future, no invoices will be mailed. Payment for ?eedlings must be made at the time the order is placed. Either c hecks or money orders made out to the correct amount will be accepted.
Under the new distribution plan, orders for seedlings will be accepted by the Commission from June 1 to October 1, and orders received after October 1 will be filled only if seedlings are available. A minimum acceptable order for each species is 500 seedlings.
The seedling prices per thousand are as follows: Arizona Cypress, $10. 00; Red Cedar $10. 00; Loblolly Pine, $3.50; Slash Pine, $3.50; Longleaf Pine, $3.50; Yellow Pine, $6. 50; Eastern White Pi ne, $6.50. These costs do not cover transportation charges. Each landowner should add 25 per thousand to the above cost if the seedlings are to be delivered by a state nursery truck.

Rangers In
~
The News
Smokey Bear recently visited Albany, appearing at the occasion of the world premiere of motion picture, "Good-by MY Lady" . Smokey was the feature attraction of Dougherty County s float in the parade for the motion picture premiere as he threw candy to the approximately 20,000 parade observers, (top photo below).
Smokey was also seen by VIewers of WALB-TV in Albany when he was guest on "The Hulick Show" , a popular regular program of that station, (bottom photo).

NEW TWIST IN KEEP GREEN-- Mrs. Carol LYnch, Secretary of the Milledgeville District Office, admires cake prepared by ardent Keep Green' fans in connection with the Wilkinson County Keep Green Program.
FOREST FIRE SUPPRESSION PLAN INITIATED--Personnel of the Third District in Americus, (pictured below), recently attended one in a series of training sessions for the organization of a statewide forest fire suppression plan. The sessions are conducted and supervised by Ed RUark, Fire Control Chief, Georgia Forestry Commission, in order to organize all Forestry Commission personnel and equipment to cope witb any fire emergency occurring in the state. Personnel are taught bow to efficiently organize a large-scale fire suppression operation to combat a major outbreak of forest fires with short notice. Training in practical forest fire problems simulated by sand table models is part of this extensive program.

.. - -
.

.
J

Seedlings Destroyed By Storms

CERTIFICATES OF MERIT PROUILY AmP'IED--(Above photo), Kirk Sutlive, Unioo &lg and P~r Cbnpany, presents Keep Green Certificate of Merit to
J.D. Watson, Chainnan of sarrow County KG l'ouncil, and QUeen as ltanger George Bower smiles approval. In photo below, James Sni tit, (tlainnan of Wilkinson O>uncy Keep Green council, accepts Certificate for Wilkinson COWley. ttmger H. D. Billue and Wilkinson ~een are pictured with Sni tlt.

Vol. 9

GEORGIA FORESTRY
May, 1956
Published Monthly by the
GEORGIA FORESTRY COI\Il\IISSION, State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia Guyton DeLoach, Director

N o. 5

Members, Board of Commissioners:

John M. McElra th, Chairman
Sam H. Morgan ___________ Savannah John M. McElrath _____________ Macon

Macon C. M. Jordan, Jr.___ ____ ______ _____ A]amo 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.



EDITOR

Richard E. Davis

ASSOCIATE E DITOR

_____ Donna Howard



DISTRICT OFFICES, GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION:

DISTRICT 1-Route 2,

DISTRICT VI-P. 0. Box 505,

Statesboro

Milledgeville

DISTRICT 11-P. 0. Box 26,

DISTRICT VII-Route 1,

Camiila

Rome

DtSTRICT III-P. 0. Box 169,

DISTRICT VIII-P. 0. Box 811,

Americus

Waycross

DISTRICT IV-P. 0. Box 333, Newnan

DISTRICT IX-P. 0. Box 416, Gainesville

.. DI STIUCT V-P. 0. Box 328,

DISTRICT X-P. 0. Box 302,

'\feRae

Was hington

------~------------------------------------------------------_.

Forest tree seedling production in Georgia was dealt a blow by severe winds, rains and hailstorms which l ashed part of the state last month, according to an announcement made by Guyton DeLoach, Director, Georgia Forestry Con-mission.
Strong winds and accompanying downpours struck at the young seedling crops threatening to reduce next winter's supply of planting stock. Planted areas at Hightower River Nursery near Dawsonville were a complete loss, and a fifty percent loss of all planted areas was reported at Horseshoe ~nd in Wheeler County.
In reporting the storm damage to the nurseries, Mr. DeLoach stated that "unfortunately much of the loss is among the plantings of hardwood species, particularly Yellow Poplar, much of which cannot be replaced by replanting due to the lack of seed."
Preparations were started for the replanting of pine seedling beds imnediatel y following the storms.
Approximately 20 acres of seed beds were r epo rt e d severely damaged at Hors es hoe ~nd Nursery at Glenwood, and a los s of slash pine seedlings expected to exceed twenty million was s uffered. Driving rains and winds up to 80 miles per hour swept seed beds clean.
At Hightower Nursery approximately three and one-half acres of Slash Pine, Arizona Cypress and Ye llow Poplar were destroyed when the Etowah River overflowed into the nursery seed beds. The loss was estimated at three- quarter million seedlings .
Replanting at both nurseries is scheduled to begin Monday, April 23.

SFFP Meet..
(Continued from Page 3)
stand the chain of distress these fires bring about, there would be a de t.er mined effort to stamp them out." "We at this conference should go home and give the South the leadership to lick the forest
fire problem," Mr. Ahlgren de -
c lared.
Outlining the purpose of the South Forest Fire Prevention Conference, Mr. Richard E. McArdle, Chief of Forest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, stated, "This Conference was called to do something about wildfire in southern forests." "The job that needs to be done can'be done, and t hese southerners from all walks of lif e can do it.'' he declared.
Dis trict Attorney Boyce Holleman, Wiggins, Mississippi, pointed out th~t juri es wi 11 convict a man of stealing a bicycle worth $30, but will fail to convict the individual who deliberately sets a fire which destroys forest property valued at $50,000 or even more. "The forests of our southlandcry out for justice, that they may grow gree n again and ripen in-
to future harvests," said Mr.
Holleman.
James E. Mi xon, Louisiana State Fores t er , pointed out me t hods of ending the South's for e st fire menace through investigation and law enforcement. He sa i d, "Because of absence of protection from the law, forest landowners have become afraid to prosecute for fear of retaliation by the woods burner. "
(Continued from Page 4)
search and Eevelopment Possibilities".
The Friday afternoon session was highlighted by a discussion by W. R. Hine, Assistant Regional Forester, on "What the Timber Resource Review Reveals About the South." The concluding program feature was a panel on "Selective Action - It's Local Application in Combatting the Fire Problem."

FORESTRY IMPROVEMENT IN APPLING FARM TOtJR'Ibis was one stop, on a recent farm tour held in Appling county in which the reclaiming of oak ridges by planting pine seedlings was demonstrated on the farm of Jack Ballenger. Here, Olin Hunt, left, Appling county Agent, points out the frill to M.E. Arnold.

Forest Fire Destruction ..

(Continued from Page 2)

counts of the three-day aroundthe-clock battle waged by the fir efighters to hold the fire loss to a minimum.
Other major blazes raced through 2,000 acres of forests in Tattnall County, 2,000 acres in Bacon County, 200 acres in Pierce County and 200 acres in Coffee County, while scores of smaller fires throughout South Georgi a blackened hundreds of additional a cres. These sporadic fire outbreaks were fanned by extremely high and variable winds and greatly intensified by indiscriminate backfiring by farmers and landowners.
The fire situation became critical when wind velocities reached 40 to 50 miles per hour causing new fire outbreaks and making cont rol of the blazes extremely diffi cult and hazardous for the fire c rews. A stifling pall of smoke enshrouded the fire areas, multiplying the difficulty and hazards in locating and fighting the fires . Air patrol operations were seriousl y hampered by the concealing curtain of smoke.
Three Conmission airplanes were used i n scouting fires and radioing instruc tions to ground suppression crews. The pilot of one of these planes, Wi lliam Allen Powe ll, of Dec atur, was

killed when his plane crashed and burned near the fire nine miles west of Savannah. He was a contract pilot employed by the Franklin Flying Service and flying air patrol f or the Conunission.
Fire Contro l Olief H. E. Ruark in commenting on the grave fire loss in Southeast Georgia stated, "The fire losses were especially disheartening and tragic si nce woods arson and hunan i nd iffe r ences seem to be the major cause of the forest fi res. " " The fires should, " he continued, "serve to remind all Ge orgians of t he constant need fo r c aut ion a nd deli beration befor e handling any sort of fire."
The Chatham County fire blowup followed closely a disastrous blaze whic h ravaged more tha n 100,000 acres of North Florida timber l a nd and thre atened to bre ak into timber-rich South Georgi a acres . Th i s blaze -- Fl orida's greatest -- was held at bay by a c orps of 50 Geo r gia Fares t ry Commission firefi gh ters who battled t he flames t hrough t he l ast week of March. Georgia ' s l os s on t his
fire was hel d t o only 500 acres by the fir e crews whose c easeless battle and vigil prevented the flames from breaki ng int o t he extensive pine stands of Cl i nch County and South Central Ge orgia.

,._.
Georgia Forestry May, 1956

Last week th is was a beau tiful picnic spot . but something happened. Today it is a charred countryside.

'" ..'.-,";-'

~1\'t~.""'(~..;.~

I
~r,f, ,~~~,-,.. ~[_ g\

~~I .'
I ;-'
J!~ f-l

Jj;t1 :11 b

i

~~ "1 ' ;{:... ) <,
~ \ (/
., \ -
\~5wiui~--

Entered as second class matter at the Post Office . Atlanta. Georgia
ACQUISTITIONS DIVISION Un1v~
Library \ t11f>ns, Ge orp:.J..n.