Treesearch

The management of city habitats for wildlife production for enjoyment in forms other than hunting will require extensive coordinated research to provide guidance for such efforts. A generalized framework for such research is suggested and 13 research studies particularly suited to the Forest Service research unit at Amherst, Mass. are outlined.

Methyl 2-benzimidazolecarbamate (MBC) was derived from benomyl, a relatively new broad-spectrum systemic fungicide. MBC • HC1 solutions have been found to be fungitoxic, stable, suitable for injection into trees, and effective in wilt disease control.

Wooden beverage cases cause little damage to aluminum resealable caps during distribution. A study at bottling plants and distribution warehouses showed that an average of 1 bottle out of 4,000 has cap damage. Most of the damage was attributed to handling at the warehouse and in transit. Some recommendations are given for improvement of wooden beverage cases to prevent damage.

Frequency distributions of log diameter and length were prepared for eight Appalachian hardwood species. Data obtained in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, were compared with information collected previously from West Virginia and New England. With the exception of red oak, significant regional differences were found.

The recently completed forest survey of Delaware indicated little change in the total forest area since the 1957 estimate. Softwood volume and the acreage of softwood types decreased considerably. Hardwoods now comprise two-thirds of the volume and three-fourths of the forest area. Total average annual growth exceeded removals, but softwood removals exceeded average annual growth by 50 percent.

The effects of N, P, and K on the growth of paper birch seedlings were tested in sand culture tests. Each element was tested singly at different supplies while holding constant the supply of all other elements. Seedling growth increased with increasing amounts of nitrogen. Three to 4 percent in the foliage indicated an adequate supply. Seedlings were relatively unaffected by different levels of phosphorus and potassium.

A method has been developed for end- and edge-gluing short pieces of high-value hardwood lumber into long panels, using a curved end joint we call SEM (Serpentine End Matching). Panels containing SEM end joints are aesthetically pleasing and are suited for exposed applications such as in finished furniture.

Dead cambial tissues adjacent to tapholes were found to be elliptical in shape and to average 1.6 inches in length and 0.2 inch in width. Chemical and physical treatments designed to stimulate the growth of callus tissues surrounding tapholes were not successful. Nearly all the tapholes, both treated and untreated, had closed after three growing seasons.

Hydrated lime was applied to extremely acid anthracite coal-breaker refuse at rates of 2.5 and 5.0 tons per acre. The lime raised the pH to neutral range, and this range was still in evidence 7 years after treatment. The pH readings decreased with the depth of the refuse profile, and below 9 inches they approximated those of the control plots. The 2.5-tons-of-lime-per-acre treatment was almost as effective as the 5.0-ton treatment. Application of lime in establishing vegetation on coal-breaker refuse is recommended and encouraged.

A preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of injecting methyl 2-benzimidazole carbamate hydrochloride solution into elms for prevention or cure of Dutch elm disease is reported. Symptom development was diminished or prevented in elms injected with fungicide before inoculation. Symptom development was arrested in all crown-inoculated diseased trees injected with the high and medium concentration of the fungicide and in bole-inoculated diseased trees injected with the high concentration of the fungicide when not more than about 50 percent of the crown was symptomatic.