e life of
this unusually heavy stand, seedlings will begin to appear gradually
as individual old trees die and admit more and more light. The
other exceptions described are due to more recent ground fires
which have destroyed only the less hardy young growth and perhaps
also encouraged the lodge pole which, within its range, is always
quick to take burned ground.

The same result is almost sure to follow the "Indian" method of
forest protection sometimes advocated, which consists of purposely
running ground fires frequently in order to prevent accumulation
of sufficient debris to make an accidental fire fatal to timber of
commercial size. While such immunity may be secured, and perhaps
without sacrifice in stands so heavy as to have no reproduction
or when the latter has already been destroyed, it is obviously at
the expense of young growth if any exists. The counter argument
that a small proportion escaping will be sufficient for the second
crop is fallacious, because good timber will not be produced from
these scattering seedlings subjected to strong light by later logging.
Other means are necessary if the forest is to be reproduced.

This brings us to the possible management of yellow pine as an
even-aged forest. Thoughtful foresters are beginning to suspect
that while the "Indian" system of fire protection will usually
be fatal if ordinary logging practice is followed, it may serve
as an adjunct to a system which, if carefully applied, will be
better than selection cutting for some of our pine areas. This plan
is suggested where there is little young growth worth protecting
and consists of depending upon seed trees almost entirely for
reproduction, protecting carefully until the resultant even-aged
second growth is large enough to stand Blight fire, and then burning
periodically at such a season and with such safeguards as will
prevent the fire from being injuriously severe.

Not only are there many existing forests where absence of small trees
will permit clean cutting without sacrifice, but the same condition
is likely to occur eventually in stands following selective logging
if the second cut is long delayed. Although a good representation
of all ages under the diameter limit remains, the density of this
may become too great to allow further reproduction, and in time
the dominant trees will shade out all smaller growth. To allow this
purposely, choosing heavy cuts at intervals long enough to mature
the crop