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Show PRODUCTION OF TIMBER Nation's Timber, Forage Output Increased by Extensive Research 7W7 ' ' vl Uncle Sam's foresters are working work-ing harder than ever devising new ways to produce more timber for defense and to Increase the forage production of the nation's range lands. In 61 research centers, 102 experimental ex-perimental forests, and 14 experimental experi-mental ranges forest service research re-search men are conducting many different studies. At the Fort Valley experimental forest In northern Arizona researchers re-searchers discovered that the growth rate of ponderosa pine can be doubled if stands are cut lightly light-ly every 10 to 20 years rather than cut heavily every 40 to 60 years. Bidding southern pine stands of overtopping hardwoods pays off, the research center at Crossett, Ark., decided. Ten years ago they cut or girdled all hardwoods two Inches and up in diameter on an experimental plot. Growth of the released pines has been so rapid that a thinning out was made this year. The control of forest fires has long been a part of the Forest Service research program. Methods of determining the fire danger each day have been worked out and are used regularly by forest administrators administra-tors to help them judge how many men need to be on fire duty each day and how many men. they need to send to the fires that occur. U.S. forest researchers report that bugs and disease take s far greater toll of timber than fire. They sre In constant search of means of protecting the nation's forests. BUGS AND DISEASE take a bigger loll of timber than fire. At the Institute of Forest Genetics in Placerville, Calif., geneticists are producing trees that will resist disease and Insects. They have developed de-veloped a cross between the Jeffrey Jef-frey and Coulter pines that withstands with-stands attacks from the pine reproduction re-production weevil. A cross between eastern white pine and Himalayan pine show great resistance to blister blis-ter rust. In working toward a better range, forest service technicians have taken tak-en abandoned farmland that was a dead loss and converted it to productive pro-ductive grazing land. On idle fields near the Bitterroot Valley of Montana Mon-tana foresters used a preparatory crop method of seedbed preparation. prepara-tion. They planted wheat or barley the first year. Then they sowed crested wheatgrass in the grain stubble. This method of planting controlled the troublesome cheat-grass cheat-grass that often causes failures in reseedlng such ranges and also netted a profit of $4.55 an acre. Water runoff experiments have been conducted at many research stations. At the Coweeta experl- mental station in Nona uarouna research men have studied the effects ef-fects of various types of timber cutting and land use on the flow of water. They have discovered that the streamflow from a watershed water-shed can be materially Increased by removing those trees which waste a great deal of water In transpiration. They are also running run-ning a small farm to see what effect ef-fect traditional hillside farming has on water runof'snd soil erosion. To aid industry the Forest Products Prod-ucts Laboratory at Madison, Wise, developed a new process for pulping pulp-ing hardwoods which is simpler and less costly than the chemical pulping pulp-ing processei. They found that overmature over-mature Douglas-fir timber Infected with a pitting called white pocket can be used for construction purposes. pur-poses. Other forest service researchers conduct surreys of forest lands to determine how much timber is available In this country. Their reports re-ports have been valuable to the National Security Resources Board In determining what forest resources are available for national defense. The reports have also aided wood using Industries In finding suitable locations near raw materials. The work of the research foresters forest-ers is vital not only In the defense program but also in everyday living. liv-ing. Their findings are the property prop-erty of the American people. Research Re-search foresters welcome visitors, issue free publications and make their studies known through national forest administrators, extension service workers, state agencies, industries in-dustries and farm foresters. |