Show SMOKEY SAYS U I By Ran Ranker Ranger er KARL EARL H. H HAASER Millions of prime trees in inthe inthe inthe the west are being killed by insects and disease each year The economic drain and loss of timber is enormous enormous During the past summer you no doubt noticed many small patches of dying trees throughout our mountain canyons You may have wondered why something wasn't being done to protect these trees from the insects and diseases which are killing them To most people aircraft spraying would appear to be bethe bethe bethe the simplest and most effective effective effective tive way to attack these forest pests Aircraft spraying however however however how how- ever only effects the leaves and upper portions of a tree Toh The insects c and and n diseases nr- nr presently active on the Manti ManU Ranger District usually usually usually ally attacks only the lower portions of the tree They injure injure in in- jure the tree by killing the inner bark therefore stopping the flow of food from the leaves to the roots Effective control means toil and sweat and slow progress The trunk of each tree must be individually sprayed to a height of 18 feet A mixture of antibiotic fungicides and insect insect in in- sect control chemicals are applied applied applied ap ap- ap- ap plied by the use of hand or orp p power o w e r operated pressure pumps Although new sprays are Indicative of the headway being being being be be- ing made against the multitude multitude multi multi- tude of forest pests insects and diseases reduce the growth of our forests more than all other destructive agents combined fire in in- Trees killed each year in the United States contain enough wood to have built thousand houses No species of tree or any of its parts fruit foliage twigs branches bark stems and roots are immune Control projects are not launched just because there may be an insect or disease loose in the forest The problem problem problem lem first must be defined its present and potential threat evaluated the values at stake appraised and a biologically sound method of attack de de- We must determine precisely where and when to attack a troublesome ome pest Ever increasing f forest rest values will some day so soon n make it pos possible ible to Incorporate more intensive control pr practices in our ey every ry day forest manage manage- ment |