THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

_ With the cold-storage unit, ‘tle planting season can be extended a full month, until ‘ late May. = This is so because cold- _ storage delays development of the seedlings. In warm weather, the seedlings may - bud before they can be ptanted. Once this happens, mortality rate soars, render- irig planting programs im- practical. In cold storage, seedlings don’t bud. They remain fresh and the foresters gain an ex- tfa month on nature. Cold storage also enables the seedlings to be lifted from the nurseries conveniently, | without exact day-to-day cor- | relation with the company’s | planting program. ' )*The locker can also be suc- ' eéssfully used to keep graft- =. ig twigs in fresh, prime con- dition until they are needed. _ Aad pollen has been success- \ ee, stored too until it is / wanted to artificially fertilize | special test trees. ; ~The greenhouse just built ' on a bluff overlooking the ._. fawn of Gold River will figure ™ s'ominently in the future for- _ | estry program. \ | “This summer it will be put | te work rooting three or four

7

‘inch long cuttings of hemlock | which have been cut or shot from plus trees.

“Hemlock twigs are too

stall and spindly for the nor- mal grafting processes, so they will be placed in a mix- ftire of sand and peat moss to

_

yn of Douglas fir and protected with muslin

take hold and produce trees that will eventually be a source of seed for future re- planting programs.

It is planned to try to root Douglas fir cuttings in the greenhouse too, but most of the Douglas fir seed-tree stock will continue to be pro- duced by the traditional graft- ing method.

The area adjacent to the greenhouse has been planted with Douglas fir rootstock for future grafting.

Although the forestry pro- gram has concentrated on Douglas fir for the past seven

years, it is now starting to work more with hemlock, which produces more wood per acre and is especially val- uable for pulp production.

It has been found too, that mixed stands of hemlock and

Douglas fir are especially productive.

Behind the whole program is the company’s determina- tion to make _ tree-farming more than a phrase and to carry out the full intent. of the provincial government in perpetuating the forest re- sources of British Columbia.

DICK KOSICK, resident forester at Tahsis Company Ltd.’s Gold River Logging Division, examines two-year-old Doug- las fir planted immediately after slash-burn on TFL 19

in April 1966.

EXAMINING week-old Douglas fir graft on tree tarm. Graft is covered with polyethylene bag to retain moisture,

and a kraft bag is placed over this to prevent over-heating by the sun.

CHECKING grafts on one of six clone banks.