ASSOCIATIONOFFICERS(Prior to Spring Meeting)

Richard E. Garrett. President11261Apulia RoadLaFayette, NY 13084

J. Morgan Heussler, tst Vice President900Porterville RoadEast Aurora, NY 14052

Harold Petrie, 2nd Vice PresidentRD 1Box 117Parish, NY 13131Tom Wolfe, TreasurerBox 57Warners Lake RoadE. Berne, NY 12059

Howard O. Ward, Assistant Treasurer240 Owego StreetCandor, NY 13743

Alec C. Proskine9370 Congress Rd.Trumansburg, NY 14886

Robert SandCotten-Hanlon, Inc.Cayuta, NY 14824

Kathryn WhitehorneRDl,Cayuga, NY 13034

R. Dean FrostRD 1Box 80Whitney Point, NY 13862

Robert A. HellmannPO Box 231Brockport, NY 14420

AllenF. Horn3978 Pompey Center Rd.Manlius, NY 13104

William R. Lynch, Jr.100Whitestone Dr.Syracuse, NY 13215

John ThoringtonRt. 2, Skyhigh RoadTully, NY 13159

Sanford VreelandPO Box 185Springwater, NY 14560

Thomas A. Conklin10Artillery LaneBaldwinsville, NY 13027

Richard J. FoxRD 3, Dresserville Rd.Moravia, NY 13118

Earl PfarnerAllen Rd.Chaffee, NY 14030

Timothy S. WilliamsRD 3, Box 321Moravia, NY 13118

Affiliate/Chapter Representatives:Thrift-Donald Colton5595 Trinity AvenueLowville, NY 13367

Catskill Forest Assn.Donald GilbertCatskill Forest AssociationArkville, N Y 12406

Cayuga Chapter-Wendell Hatfield, ChairmanRDIMoravia, NY 13118

Tioga Chapter-Howard Ward, Chairman2400wegoSt.Candor, NY 13743

Southern Tier Chapter-Donald Kellicutt, ChairmanRD 1, Box 103Lisle, NY 13797

THE NEW YORK

FOREST OWNERPublished for the New York Forest Owners Association byKaren Kellicutt, Editor - Noreen Kellicutt, Assistant Editor

Materials submitted for publication should be addressed to: Editor, N. Y. ForestOwner, RD #1, Box 103, Lisle, New York 13797. Articles, artwork and photos areinvited and are normally returned after use. The deadline for submission is 30 daysprior to publication in July and September.Please address all membership and change of address requests to Executive Secretary,P. O. Box 123, Boonville, N.Y. 13309.

President's MessageBy the time you read this message,

my term as President of NYFOA willbe almost over. It seems like only afew months ago that Bob Sand was onthe phone asking me to take over asyour President but in reality it hasbeen more than four years. It has beena hectic four years but ourorganization has survived and, in fact,has shown growth in membershipduring that period. Although therewere a few trials and tribulations, wehave also had our share of successes.The very fact that you are again

receiving this magazine is our latestendeavor and I am sure we all wishKaren the very best of luck in herefforts to get the press rolling again.At.this point, I would be remiss if I didnot thank Alan Knight for all of hispast help and his continued thoughtstoward providing the membershipwith a quality publication.Since this is my last chance to

express my thoughts to you, I wouldalso like to thank Ruth Thoden for all

From Your EditorWelcome to The New York Forest

Owner. At the March 5 Board of Directorsmeeting I was appointed to edit andpublish your magazine. I am enthusiasticabout the opportunity to serve you andpromote the New York State ForestOwners Association.Your response to my urgent request for

material was tremendous. This particularissue was developed quickly, so that itcould be published prior to the April 30annual meeting. It is my goal, that futureissues reflect the involvement of All themembers.Please remember that this is your

magazine and it will only be as strong as

of her help during my term and alsofor providing a newsletter during thepast year or so. My gratitude to themembers of the Board of Directors fortheir time and effort at meetings andfor serving on the variouscommittees.As we look ahead to the coming

year, it appears to be an exciting onefor forestry and the forest owner inNew York State. Let's get it started byattending the Annual Meeting on April30th at the College of EnvironmentalScience and Forestry. An interestingprogram has been prepared by AlHorn and we also will be making ourannual awards at the luncheon. TheNortheast Loggers Congress is beingheld at the State Fairgrounds fromApril 28 - 30, so perhaps you can makeboth events in one trip.In closing, let me say that it has

been a privilege to serve as yourPresident, and I wish the Associationcontinued success in the future.

- Richard E. Garrett

its membership. If you have an idea orsuggestion on editorial content, featurestories (either written by me or amember) do not hesitate to send me a note.Articles and photographs from memberswill always have first priority. Contact meabout advertising, either display orclassified.I am professionally honored to hold the

position of editor and publisher of The NewYork Forest Owner and I am lookingforward to working diligently andresponsibly for the betterment of NYFOA.

Sincerely,Karen Kellicutt

2 FOREST OWNER

WOODBy HOWARD O. WARD

You, as a Forest Owner, areprimarily interested in growing treesfor market. What is that market?You'd be surprised! It's more thanlumber or firewood!What are those words that you're

reading printed on? Wood! We call itpaper, from the original "paper"made from the papyrus reed; Why ispaper wood? Pieces of wood, evenlogs, are ground up until there areonly tiny pieces of the wood fiber left.These are put in suspension in water(sometimes with a chlorine bleachadded) which is then spread evenlyover a felt or cloth belt. This allowsmost of the water to drain throughbut leaving a layer of moist wood fiberof uniform thickness. This layer ofmoist fiber is passed over a series oflarge steam heated rolls to removethe rest of the water but the layer ofwood fibers is bonded together andrun through a pair of rollers to give ita uniform thickness. The result isPAPER!

SPRINGLike John Sherwood says, "Spring

isn't Spring without planting a fewtrees", so here we go. Since youprobably have already ordered thisyear's trees, let's start with somegeneral rules. Nearly all trees growbest on the well-drained sites, so plantyour slopes first. If you must plant theflat-wet sites, spruces and BalsamFir will tolerate these areas. Don'tforget to plant your trees in full sunand not under existing forest.Christmas trees are spaced 6 feet by

6 feet, timber trees are spaced 8 feetby 8 feet or wider. (If an acre weresquare, it would be 208 feet by 208feet) .As soon as you get your seedlings,

moisten the roots, then keep them cooland in the dark until planting. Plant assoon as possible, but your trees maylast a week or two in the bag.While planting, keep the trees in a

bucket of water or preferably in wetmoss. When planted, the roots shouldbe tight in the soil with no air pockets.You should be able to pull a fewneedles off the seedling without itcoming out of the ground.

An Outstanding Material

Beginning Tree Plantingdollars for nitrate levels. Takesamples from the top six or twelveinches of mineral soil, from three ormore places in the field to be planted.Mix them together and take about apint of this mix to your localCooperative Extension office. You'llfind out if the soil needs lime orfertilizer.Hopefully, you won't need to

prepare your site for planting.However, if you have brush or tallgrasses, you may need mowingand/or herbicide treatment thesummer before planting. Get helpfrom a Forester or long-timeChristmas Tree Grower.What about sources of seedlings?

DEC has a nursery in SaratogaSprings which usually starts takingorders in early January. Also, manycounty Soil and Water ConservationDistricts run their own seedlingprograms through private nurseries.Finally, the New York ChristmasTree Grower's Association has a longlist of tree nurseries.Which species should I choose? For

(Continued on Page 11)

How many different kinds of paperdo you think you have in your house?Try counting them up before readingfurther. What's your answer?Here are some of the ones in my

house. 1. Writing paper. 2. Toilettissue. 3. Facial tissue. 4. Papertowels. 5.Waxed paper. 6. Paper cups.7. Newsprint. 8. Wrapping paper ofvarious kinds. 9. Brown grocery bags.10. Thin carboard boxes (ice creamcontainers). 11. Corrugatedcardboard boxes. 12.Milk cartons. 13.Cheese tubs. 14. Carbon paper. 15.Envelopes both brown or white. 16.Cardboard boxes for games. 17.

Keep the grass mowed in earlysummer so the mice can't hide fromthe hawks. Let the grass come up a bitin late Summer if August is dry. Thismay help to reduce losses to drought.In planning for next Spring, let's get

more technical. Buy an eye-openingsoil test from Cooperative Extension.Five dollars for the core test gives youpotassium and phosphorous levels aswell as the ph or soil acidity. Add two

Glossy magazine pages - and on andon.Then there's Masonite hardboard.

Here again, the logs are ground intodust. The dust, in a layer about 4inches thick, is fed onto a number ofheated pallets. These pallets, stackedone above another, are then pushed alltogether so that each 4 inch layer ofwood fiber and lignin (I'll explain thatshortly) is compressed into a smoothsurfaced hardboard about 1/8 of aninch thick. What holds it all together?The lignin I just mentioned.The tree grows its own lignin which

holds the fibers together. If you'veever split wood, you can see the woodfibers along the length of the piece.What did you split? You split thelignin which bands those fiberstogether.Probably everyone reading this'

lives in a house framed by wood,floored with wood, sided with wood(though it may be a chipboard orplywood beneath the clapboards or

(Continued on Page 10)

MAY/JUNE 1988 3

CHAPTER REPORTSCayuga Chapter'sWoodsmen InvadeTompkins CountyAfter two previous very cold

demonstrations on Valentine's Dayof 1986and 1987,on February 6,1988,the Cayuga Woodsmen were invitedto strut their stuff at the 9th AnnualWinterfest held at Robert H.Treman State Park just South ofIthaca. It was snappy setting up; butby noon the 'Southern Tier' hadbecome comparatively balmy.For a crowd of several hundred

who were skiing, sledding, snow-shoeing, sleigh riding, and justsloshing around, the CayugaWoodsmen did their thing (evenobtained approval for a littlemanagement). Tim Roberson andhis portable band sawmill coloredthe snow burgundy and scented thewarming air as he sawed panelingfrom Red Cedar logs. The logs weretrucked to the site by harvesterGregg Wellott in his ten-wheelerwith mounted knuckleboom loader.Sample chips of the Red Cedar slabswere given to the spectators forsouvenirs. Rick Roberson madelittle ones out of big ones using aflywheel, gear-driven wood-splitter.Alfred Signor manufactured steamin his homemade 'backyard' maplesap evaporator and Bob Hazeltonexhibited the very attractive RuffedGrouse Society Display.

The show-stopper was the youngand newly started yoke of oxentrained and handled by Olin Bacon.It was the oxen's special skiddingskills that convinced TonyIngraham and Bob Gonet of FingerLakes Parks Regional Office andBob McIlroy and Bill Brown ofRobert H. Treman State Park toconsider some management. An 18-inch Ash previously felled by Parkspersonnel (die-back) and lying atthe foot of a very steep hill-plantation of Red Pine, after much'jockeying' of the oxen, wasremoved a short distance to thedemonstration site. The butt log wassawed for boards and the remainderprocessed for firewood.A number of other Cayuga

Woodsmen served as monitors andprovided support for the program(chocolate ship cookies). The ideafor the program started as aquestion from Parks to the DECCortland Office. Bill Burlingame,Service Forester for Onondaga,Cayuga, and Tompkins Countiesagreed to do a "WoodlotManagement For PrivateLandowners" - program; andsuggested Parks contact the CayugaChapter of the NYFOA.The demonstrations were well

received and may be repeated in thefuture with variations trimmed tothe special requirements of theOffice of Parks, Recreation, andHistorical Preservation of the Stateof New York.

CatskillForest AssociationThe Catskill Forest Association

(CFA) sponsored a tour of MarkSyska Trucking & Logging'sautomatic sawmill and firewoodpackaging operation in Saugerties,NY on March 19, 1988.

Mr. Syska personally guided thetour through the mill and answerednumerous questions from the group.He pointed out that he entered thefirewood packaging market late lastfall in an attempt to market lowgrade, small diameter materialwhich he receives from timber standimprovement (TSI) cuttings onprivate lands.

He packages firewood into onecubic foot bundles and places thebundles on pallets to facilitatehandling. Most all of his product issold in metropolitan areas. Thiscoming year, he hopes to triple hismanufactured volume of firewood.His innovative marketing approachwill hopefully enable privatelandowners to be able to conductmore TSI work on their propertiesby having a market for smallroundwood.

The tour was considered a successby all who attended. Our thanks goto Mark for offering his assistancefor this program.

By Richard Fox By Don Gilbert

4 FOREST OWNER

thought, it seems as though a mainactivity of many new and long-termlandowners at this time of the year isto become involved in reforestationor establishment of a Christmas treeplantation on their "old pasture -brushy land". Of utmost importancein establishing a successful crop oftrees is selecting the tree speciesthat are best suited to the type of soilthat makes up your land. A wet soil(remains wet/damp for long periodof time) would best support a spruceplantation of norway, white, or bluespecies. The drier, well drained sitesare better suited for the pine and firspecies. The aspect of slope (north-facing, southfacing, etc.) also affectthe species to be chosen. Your localS.C.S. office may be able to assist inchoosing the proper trees to plant, aswell as your focal D.E.C. foresters.Remember to keep the seedlingroots wet at all times and to makeholes large enough to allow seedlingroots to be placed in the groundstraight down with little or no Jshaping of the root mass.

Southern TierChapterIf attendance at a meeting is an

indication of success, then ourChapter has reason to smile. Fifty-eight people attended our lastmeeting which addressed thetreatment of income and expenses ofthe private or individual wood lotowner. Valuable information waspresented to all those in attendance.Our last meeting was scheduled

for April 19. The meeting focused onthe plantation management of RedPine. Our speakers were Jim andJulian Webb. As owners andoperators of Lok-n-Log Log Homes,the Webbs have become regionalexperts in the realm of red pinemanagement and utilization.Although red pine is a very site

specific tree (requiring deep, welldrained soils), on the right site it iscapable of producing a variety ofmarketable products throughout itsrotation (time between plantationestablishment and final harvest).For example, one might harvestchristmas trees, fence posts,

landscaping ties, softwood pulp, logcabin logs, lumber and telephonepoles in successive thinnings of theplantation. This obviously mayprovide an economic incentive toestablish more red pine plantationsthroughout New York State.Julian Webb was recently

recognized by the N.Y.S.Department of EnvironmentalConservation with an award for hisextensive research with theutilization of red pine.We also would like to announce the

date and location of our summerpicnic and meeting. It will be a jointget-together with the BroomeCounty Christmas Tree Growers onAugust 20, 1988, and will be held atthe multi-use farm of R. Dean Frostof Whitney Point. This promises tobe an excellent meeting withmachinery displays, christmas treemanagement information and tours,an operating bandsaw and horselogging demonstration, as well as awoodswalk in Dean's recentlyharvested woodlot. Let's not forgetthe food and fellowship!A major objective of this

organization is to inform andeducate landowners. After some

By Jim Roberts

LEGISLATIVE REPORT withDonaldGilbert

The New York Forest OwnersAssociation's Legislative Committeehas been closely watching theprogress of several bills pending thissession in the state legislature. Foresttaxation exemptions and the statereimbursement of taxes tomunicipalities appear to be the mostnotable issues among these bills forNew York forest owners.Senator Cook and Assemblyman

Parment have recently introducedbills #S.7614and #A.9924,respectively,to the state legislature for the purposeof creating a New York State forestresource industry council. The councilwill be charged with targeting andcoordinating policies, plans andactions of state agencies,commissions and committees in orderto strengthen the forest resourceindustry of the state. The Office ofRural Affairs shall administer theForest Resource Industry Councilwith members consisting of agencyofficials and public appointees. Thebills have been sent to the SenateCommittee on Finance and the

Assembly Committee onEnvironmental Conservation.Bills #S.1944-A, introduced by

Senator Lavalle, and #A.2804-A byAssemblyman Hinchey, authorizesDEC to designate and regulate thehabitats of endangered andthreatened species. NYFOA hasopposed this bill because of its vaguelanguage. A vote is expected by theAssembly very soon.Senate bill #S.343-A, introduced by

Senator Stafford has passed in theSenate. This bill would require thestate to reimburse municipalities forexemptions under the Fisher Act ofthe Real Property Tax Law, section480. The Assembly's counterpart tothis bill is #A.511 (introduced byAssemblyman Harris) and iscurrently in the Real Property TaxCommittee of the Assembly.Senate bill #S.3282 has been

introduced by Senator Schermerhornand is currently in the Senate LocalGovernment Committee. This billaddresses state reimbursement tomunicipalities for forest tax

DON GILBERT

exemptions under 480-a of the RealProperty Tax Law.Other forest product bills pending

this session include Senate bill#S.6756,introduced by Senator Farley,and Assembly bill #A.9137,introduced

(Continued on Page 10)

MAY/JUNE 1988 5

The Hardwood MarketBy Jim Peek

The last year brought some of thehighest stumpage prices for Oak, Ash,Cherry, and Hard Maple I have everseen. As you know, we have hadstrong Oak, Ash, and CherryEuropean markets for veneer andhigh grade lumber for years butsomething special drove up lumberand stumpage prices early thiswinter. The dollar has not been doingwell against many foreign currencieswhich makes American productscheaper for foreign buyers even at thecurrent prices.Currency exchange rates drive

international trade. Last October thedollar was worth 1600Mexican pesos;the last time I looked, our dollar couldbuy 2600pesos. Mexico is getting a lotmore American tourists these daysbecause at that exchange rate you canbuy more (even after the locals raisethe prices to cover inflation) with lessdollars.Compared to European and Far

Eastern currencies, the Americandollar has become a bargain (a littlelike the Peso) and American lumberis in exceptionally strong demand.Some mills went to double shifts andeveryone tried to maximizeproduction.Markets for medium grade (one and

two common) lumber to Taiwan,Korea, and Japan have grown to veryrespectable proportions and havedrawn up the prices of this lumber andthe value of the stumpage they camefrom. The Pacific Rim countries alsopurchase Hard and Soft Maple andhave increased prices for thesespecies.Black Cherry is hitting record

stumpage prices in Upstate New

York, but I am told the price increasesare due to a reduced volume of Cherrybeing sawn in NorthwesternPennsylvania. In recent years, badwindstorms have blown down a lot offine Alleghany Cherry trees and themarketplace has been filled with thissalvaged material. The salvagedCherry has about run out andincreased domestic demand forCherry furniture has driven the priceof this species up to hundreds ofdollars/MBF over the published"market" lumber price as well.We all know good times don't last

forever and some of the lumbermen Italked to in December thought priceshad already peaked out. The one andtwo common was getting harder tosell and some folks weren't quite sohappy at having big inventories ofhigh priced logs and stumpage. Whathappened?Our country's domestic economy

took quite a shock when the value ofstocks fell abruptly last October andleft a lot of people feeling shaky abouttheir finances, and people with doubtsabout their financial future do not buyexpensive new homes, furniture, orpianos. Thus the domestic furnituremakers, moldings, and doormanufacturers don't need quite somuch lumber.By the way, many pianos are made

in the Pacific Rim countries thesedays, so demand for maple actionstock weakens when pianos made toexport to the United States start to fillup Asian warehouses. 'the dollarexchange rate that made the lumberso cheap to foreign manufacturersnow makes the manufactured producta lot more expensive in the UnitedStates and fewer items are imported

6

and the lumber business slows up alittle. Please don't misunderstand -markets are still very good butperhaps we have passed the very peakof stumpage prices.What's going to happen? Don't ask

me to make a prediction - I don'tknow as much as an economist andthat must be just about nothing (toslightly misquote Will Rogers). I dothink I know what to look for,however:

(1) Keep an eye on housing startsand mortgate rates. Housing startsare a good indicator of the strength ofthe domestic lumber market - and Idon't just mean softwood constructionlumber, they work for hardwood aswell.

(2) Keep an eye on currencyexchange rates. When it takes moreforeign currency to buy a dollar, theexport market will slow down.Like it or not, your woodlot is a part

of the economy and these days thatmeans the world economy. Learningto keep an eye on economic indicatorswill give you hints on how to selltimber.

Woodlot CalendarApril 29- 30:Northeastern Loggers' Congress

and Equipment Expo, New YorkState Fairgrounds, Syracuse, $5admission charged.APRIL 29:Arbor Day, 100thanniversary.

APRIL 30:NYFOA's Annual Meeting, 9 a.m.,

Marshall Hall Auditorium, SUNYES&F, Syracuse.JUNE 25:Annual meeting of Catskill Forest

Association. Topic and place to bedetermined. Contact CFAd at 919/586-3054.AUGUST 19 - 21:Woodsmen's Field Days, Boon-

ville. Exhibits, loggers' competi-tions, parade, seminars. Call 315/942-45!!3.AUGUST 20:Woodswalk scheduled at Frosty

Mountain Tree Farm, Bull CreekRoad, Itaska, 10 a.m. Visit withowner Dean Frost and his SouthernTier tree farm.

FOREST OWNER

Marketing with Management in MindMost woodland owners realize few

opportunities to sell forest products, thusthey tend to lack the expertise toeffectively market their products.Marketing is said to be the key to asuccessful business or enterprise. That isever so true for the forest landowners.Successful businesses make substantialinvestments into marketing products.Through wise marketing, our forestlandowners can increase their profits andenjoyment of owning forest land in boththe short term and over the long run ofownership. Wise marketing on the part offorest landowners is very important to thelivelihood and continuity of our forestindustry.Many landowners have learned to use

the expertise of professionals. Yet a recentsurvey of sawmills and timber harvestersin South Central New York indicated thatless than 40% of the volume of woodharvested was from jobs administered orsupervised by state or consultingforesters. That is not to say that the other60% of the wood cut was from jobs wherethe landowners got a poor deal orenvironmental damage was done. Butodds are that those landowners were not aswell informed as their buyers. Perhapsmore attention was paid to the totalfinancial aspects of the sale rather thanthe real and long term impacts of theharvest.When a landowner sells an immature,

high quality tree before it or the standreaches financial maturity, the landowner

and timber harvester both lose. The rest ofthe forest industry community also loses,as that relatively small, quality tree willyield greatly reduced volumes of woodsuitable for processing into high valuefinished products. Worse yet, that shortsighted, financially motivated harvestingoften is done with little regard forregeneration or the potential of theresidual stand. Stand potential is oftengreatly reduced. Besides the poorer genepool to regenerate the stand with, thesubsequent landowner may be sodiscouraged with the low return and valueof the trees and forest, that the owner maynot consider harvesting or investing in along term improvement effort. Chancesare increased for that land to be taken outof productivity because of its diminishedreturns.The time to reach the short sighted

landowners is when they are thinking ofselling. We can then encourage properforest management and best harvestingpractices.The South Central New York Resource

Conservation & Development (RC&D)project area Council and Forestrycommittee have been very active with

evening

TREGASKIS

Loggers

Skidders

Saw Mills

Log Trucks

Fire • •AGENCYLiability

DAVID W. TREGASKIS

All forms of insurance

10Central StreetMoravia, N.Y. 13118

315-497-0410

INSURANCEMember Cayuga Chapter - NYFOA

607-898-3821 315-497-0410day

programs and projects to encourage theimplementation of proper forestmanagement practices. In recent yearsefforts have focused on compiling a database about area forest resources and theforest industry. This data base has helpedassess resource use and availability. Thedata is used to aid decisions of existingindustry and to encourage new andexpanding industries to use under utilizedand exported resources. We now have anongoing forestry industry economicdevelopment effort. These types ofprojects will generate long term benefitsfor the region, but the present day to dayneeds of the landowner and most ofindustry is not directly addressed. Tosupplement the data base and industrialdevelopment program RC&D isdeveloping a marketing informationsystem that will provide valuable day today information to our forestrycommunity.RC&D TREE is a South Central N.Y.

RC&D forestry marketing informationpilot project. The objectives of the RC&DTREE project are:1) to network and organize forest

resource marketing information2) to more effecitvely bring buyer and

seller of forest and wood products togetherwhile encouraging proper forestmanagement and best managementpractices3) to promote the region's resources and

industry.(Continued on Page 11)

BrooksideBuildersWilliam F. Millier, Jr.

Owner

• Logging• Firewood• Racks

Telephone(315) 497-0937

R.D.4 - Duryea StreetMoravia, New York 13118

MAY/JUNE 1988 7

ASK A FORESTERSend Questions to: Wes Suhr, Ranger School, Wanakena, N.Y. 13695

Christmas Tree PestsOn our 17 acre plantation near

Albany, we aerially sprayed Diazinonand Kelthane to control the Cooleyspruce gall aphid and the balsam twigaphid. We succeeded with the Cooleyaphid but are now ground sprayingbalsam and Frazer fir with Malathionto stop the balsam twig aphid whichthe aerial spray did not control. Ofcourse, our idea was to control bothinsects with one aerial spray. Do youhave any idea of what went wrong?Can aerial spraying be effective onChristmas tree plantations? Did weuse the wrong pesticides? Should wehave let the Douglas-fir suffer theCooley aphids another 10 days or sountil after bud break of the balsam fir,thereby concentrating the balsamtwig aphids on the new growth?

Sincerely,Bill Miaski

East Greenbush, NY

I hope I have your name right, Bill- is that an "a" or "0" in Miaski? Toadequately answer your highlytechnical questions, I consulted aForest Entomologist, Dr. DouglasAllen from the College ofEnvironmental Science and Forestry(Syracuse). First, he outlines whatyou should do:"Cooley spruce gall adelgid

infestations can be treated in one oftwo ways. (1) Use a dormant oil (60-or 70-second) in very early spring(prior to April) or late fall. Treatmentis aimed at overwintering insects inbark crevices on terminal twigs andat the bases of buds. (2) ApplyCarbaryl or Metasystox-R in lateApril or early May (just prior to budbreak). The balsam twig aphid is bestcontrolled by applying Diazinon inlate April or early May, when bud tipsfirst show green. Timing is verycritical for both pests, but especiallythe twig aphid. I suggest that the mosteffective way to deal with it is to delaytreatment. for a week or so afteroptimum timing for Cooley sprucegall adelgid. In a practical sense,however, compromises can be madeon both ends and a single treatment inearly May should do a decent job onboth. I believe both Carbaryl and

Diazinon are registered for both pestsand either would do the job."But stressing the importance of

timing again, Dr. Allen goes on to say:"For Cooley spruce gall adelgid,

chemical treatments must be madeprior to bud break. If phenologicaldevelopment of balsam fir andDouglas-fir is substantially different,separate applications may berequired. If a single application isdesired (understandably so foreconomic reasons) , the chemicalshould be applied just prior to budbreak of the most rapidly developingspecies."From this information, it appears

the two pests are best controlled byusing different chemicals withdifferent timing, although smallcompromises can be made. However,the compromise you make on timingindicates to me that, very likely, oneor the other pest will not be controlled.Now let's answer your questions in theorder you asked: (1) This is one of theplaces you "went wrong" - timing:control the Cooley adelgid before budbreak and the balsam aphid just atbud break. (2) According to Dr. Allen,"I would not recommend aerialspraying on small areas ... materialapplied from the air often does notreach lower and inner branches." (3)In regard to proper pesticides, Dr.Allen adds, "Kelthane is mostcommonly used against mites . . .Certainly it is not recommended foraphid control." (4) If you had donewhat you suggest here, you probablywould have controlled the balsamtwig aphid, but not the Cooley adelgid.You have a substantial investment

with 17 acres of plantation and I'msure you have a plan for managing theproperty, but is it integrated toinclude pest management? The NewYork Christmas Tree GrowersAssociation can give you advice forplanning to combat problems such asthis, and detailed information like Dr.Allen has given is available beforepesticides are applied by contactingDr. Lawrence Abrahamson, theextension service coordinator at theCollege of Environmental Science andForestry (call 315-470-6751).Similaradvice can be obtained from yourlocal Department of EnvironmentalConservation office.Wishing you many beautiful

Christmas trees!

Yankee IngenuityIt seems that I've always got

something to say about woodlottractors. It's not only that I'm a "nut"about them, without knowing muchabout them, but the reader inquirieseach month are many. In my lastthree columns, we have discussed theattributes of a good woodlot "meso-skidder" which I would like to ownmyself, and many of you would too ifthe machine is versatile andaffordable, that is, can be used on bothfarm and woodlot for a variety ofpractical projects at an initialinvestment below $30,000.Ideally, for woods work, this tractor

description would be great for me:stable (good weight distribution, alltires same size), 4wd, around 40hp(good fuel economy), 7-8000 lb.

(Continued on Page 9)

8 FOREST OWNER

Christmas Trees Planted in 1978Plantation-grown Christmas trees

planted in 1978 in New York State arelikely to become available for marketduring the next few years. Perhaps someof these trees have already been sold.Balsam fir was the most commonlyplanted species in 1978, accounting for 43percent of 1 to 2 million trees planted,according to the New York State DEC's1981 report entitled, "The ForestResources of New York - A SummaryAssessment."

Douglas fir was the next most populartree for planting, and it accounted for 23percent of the Christmas trees planted.After these two species, which accountedfor nearly two-thirds of the trees planted in1978, a variety of species including whitespruce, blue spruce, Norway spruce, whitepine, Scotch pine, Concolor fir, and Fraserfir all accounted for less than 10 percenteach of the Christmas trees planted.

Yankee Ingenuity-skidding winch, logging blade, about5' wide, 18" clearance, and it would begreat if it could articulate andoscillate to maneuver well aroundboulders and over irregular terrain.Many times, rather than skid logs, it'sfaster and more economical for me tohaul short-wood in various lengths -in this case I need a dump/trailerbody behind the tractor that can bemaneuvered as well as the skiddingwinch. And on the front, at times Iwould like to replace the blade with abucket or a fork lift or a snow-bloweror a wood splitter or a post-hold drilleror . . . . If this basic tractor has astandard 3-point hitch with pto front

(Continued from Page 8)

and back, think of the many optionsthat are possible.Well, believe it or not, such a unit is

being developed by a mechanic-inventor and may be available soon.His name is Maury Collins, OldStoddard Road, Nelson, NewHampshire 03457 (Nelson TractorCompany). He is still testing hisprototype, which is available witheither gas or diesel engine, and isinterested in your ideas and needs.For my needs, this appears to be the

best meso-skidder around for theprice. Maury, I'll see you soon to giveit a test drive!

IT IS NOTENOUGHTO OWNA FOREST

The challenge is to nurture it, to ful-fill a destiny of beauty, productivity,and family pride ... while turningenough dollars over to hang on to it.But how?

There are no easy answers, onlyideas to ponder by the woodstove.That's what NYFOA is all about:ideas, family pride in forest manage-ment, and sharing of dreams.

Through regular issues of ForestOwner magazine, frequent seminarsand woodswalks in one another'swoodlots, and extended tours to ex-tend the fellowship and learning inforeign lands, members of the NewYork Forest Owners Association aregrowing as surely as the trees in their

. woodlots.

MAY/JUNE 1988 9

J · ,010. --- _Check your preferredmembership option:D Regular - $10 D Family - $15D Contributing - $16-$99D Supporting - over $100Send checks payable to:New York Forest Owners AssociationP.O. Box 123 -Boonville, NY 13309Yes, I'd like to join the New York

Forest Owners Association and getmore out of my woodlands.

Name

Address

City

State/Zip

County Phone

!! 10

~L--~ ------'

NewDECOffice ProposedALBANY - State Senator James L.

Seward has filed legislation that wouldbreak up the Department ofEnvironmental Conservation so that fishand wildlife issues are better addressed bythe state. Seward's bill would create a newstate Office of Natural Resources."This bill transfers functions, powers

and duties associated with fish, wildlife,lands and forests from the DEC to a newdepartment," Senator Seward said. "Overthe past few years, the DEC seems to havespent more time on solid hazardous wasteissues than on deer management and fishrestocking. As a result, our attention tofish and game concerns has beenconsiderably weakened."Hunting and fishing mean a great deal

to the economy of our state, providing jobsfor residents, income for businesses, andrevenues for the state," Seward continued."A new department will re-focus ourefforts on fish stocking, replenishing thestate's game birds, deer management, andmore attentive stewardship of our forestsand water resources."Seward noted that the DEC would

continue to work on environmentalregulation, such as hazardous waste.Seward also stated that the newdepartment should not cost more money,because a proportional amount of theDEC's budget would be transferred to thenew department.The bill is being sponsored by Senator

Hugh Farley, Chairman of the SenateCommittee on Environmental Conserva-tion, and in the Assembly by MichaelBragman of Syracuse.

hardboard process). Logs of a qualitynot good enough to be used for finelumber can be chipped and made intoa chipboard sheet four feet by eightfeet which can be used as the primarystructure of a table top, basic housesiding, etc. It is almost universallycovered by something else, even ahardwood veneer, to dress it up.What's a veneer? A veneer is a verythin (usually about 1/16" thick) layerof wood that has been taken off thecircumference of a log by turning thelog in a lathe against a very sharpangled knife blade.That is how plywood starts, too.

You're familiar with 4 ft. x 8 ft. sheetsof plywood which have about 5 layersof thin (l/8") layers of wood gluedtogether with each layer alternatingthe direction of the wood fiber. Thisgives it strength against bending inboth directions and prevents it fromsplitting the wayan ordinary boardmay. Could this unusual strength beused in other than flat sheets? Youbet! Let me tell you a true story.From December 1943 to January

1953 I was a Field InstallationEngineer for Pratt & Whitney aircraftengines. It was my job to work withthe aircraft manufacturers to designand test the installation of the enginesin the various aircraft beingmanufactured at that time (during thelatter stages of World War Il). I wasstationed in California from 1943until1947 and worked with Douglas,Lockheed, Consolidated, and Hughes

W d Aircraft.00 - You probably don't remember

(Continued from Page 3) much about Howard Hughes exceptthe brick), and roofed with wood what appeared in print about thecovered by shingles of some sort. tragic years of his later life. Actually,Most old houses originally had wooden in his younger days, he was somewhatshingles. These were usually split of a genius. Airplanes were being builtfrom chunks of a large cedar log and of aluminum by the thousands for themade a roof leakproof for at least military. Consequently, aluminumtwenty years. You have beautiful was in short supply. Hugheshardwood furniture, of oak, cherry, convinced the U.S. Government thatmaple, walnut, even teakwood or he could build a huge plane of wood tomahogany. You may also have some carry hundreds of troops or greatcheaper pieces of white pine or loads of cargo. There was no shortageDouglas fir. What is particularly of wood. The plane was to be ainteresting about the furniture is that seaplane so it did not need a hugethe various pieces are usually held airport. It could land wherever theretogether by glue of one kind or another was a large enough body of water.which does the same thing as the After it was designed, I watched thelignin of the original tree. It bonds one construction of the prototypepiece to another. (actually, the only one ever built)I mentioned chipboard and plywood from start to finish. After all, it had

just above. The chipboard is made of eight 3000 horsepower Pratt &large chips of wood pressed together Whitney engines mounted on thewith a glue (somewhat similar to the wings and it was my job to see that

they were installed properly.The wing span (the distance from

one wingtip to the other) was 320ft., orlonger than a football field. The chord(thickness) of the wing was 10 ft.where it joined the fuselage. I couldwalk erect inside the wing out to thefourth engine nacelle on each side.Yes, there was a wooden frame bothinside the fuselage and the wing.However, most of the strength was inthe skin, or outer form. How couldthat be, since it was wood? Because itwas "formed-in-place" plywood.The men building the plane would

wrap a thin wood ply around theframe in the shape desired. Then thenext ply, with the grain in the oppositedirection, was coated with glue andnailed in place over the first ply withhundreds of double headed nails (likethe modern plastic headed push pin).When the glue dried, the nails wereremoved and the next ply, againrotating the grain, was applied in likemanner.As you can see, this took thousands

and thousands of man hours. But itworked. The plane was completed andHoward Hughes himself made thesuccessful test flight. By then the warwas over and no more were built. Thatprototype, the "Spruce Goose" is nowon display in Long Beach harbor inCalifornia.The point of the story is that wood is

a very remarkable material. It isstrong, light, workable and is madeinto hundreds of thousands ofproducts. Aren't you proud to begrowing wood? I am.

Legislative-(Continued from Page 5)

by Assemblyman Bragman. Both billsapply the state sales bidding rules(which currently apply inreforestation areas) to the sales offorest products from state landsdevoted to public hunting, trappingand fishing. These bills are currentlyin the Senate and Assembly'Srespective EnvironmentalConservation Committees.Also, Senate bill #S.1586,introduced

by Senator Cook, would require theNYS Department of EnvironmentalConservation to issue regulationssetting standards for the burning ofscrap wood by sawmills. This bill isalso currently in the SenateEnvironmental ConservationCommittee.

FOREST OWNER

DEC's Cooperating Timber HarvestingProgram.Parties making requests of the system

will also be listed in the system with theirrequest. Quality sales will be listed till thespecified bid date. If no such date isknown, the listing will be carried for .30days. For low quality, generally underutilized resources, the listing will be for amuch longer period, perhaps six months.Many of the details are yet to be workedout.RC&D TREE has good potential to bring

economic benefits to our forestrycommunity and region. Its success is goingto depend upon participation. Thebeginning of the project faces a catch 33scenario. We will get good participationwith good information - we can not getgood information without goodparticipation! With your participation wecan make this system work. We believe agood information system can even helpattract new users of our soon to beadvertised, under-utilized, forestresources.For more information about RC&D

TREE call 607-674-9034or write to RC&DTREE, South Central NY RC&D, 9 MapleStreet, Norwich, N.Y. 13815.We hope to bereceiving an 800 telephone number whichwill make your access to RC&D TREEeasier and help spread the word.

Marketing-(Continued from Page 7)

The project starts April 1. The targetarea is the project area of the SouthCentral N.Y. RC&D which includes thecounties of Broome, Chenango, Cortland,Delaware, Madison, Onondaga, Otsego,Schoharie, Sullivan, Tioga and Tompkins.As with all RC&D projects, we look toshare and expand successful projects;perhaps in a year or two a similarinformation system will be networkedstatewide.As with any information project, there is

an initial data collecting period where thesystem is not quite ready to generateinformation. We will be compilinginformation from many of the area'sexperts. The NYS Dept. of EnvironmentalConservation (DEC) forestry programwill be the initial source of information.Cornell Cooperative Extension is workingclosely with us on this project. Certainsectors of the forestry industry haveagreed to participate in the initialdevelopment aspect of the project. STAND(Southern Tier Association for NaturalResource Development) is providinginformation regarding its members.Consulting foresters have been receptiveto the concepts and intent of the project.The area NYFOA chapters and affiliatebeing the Southern Tier Chapter, TiogaCounty Chapter and Catskill ForestAssociation are supporting the initialdevelopment aspect of the project.

RC&D TREE will gather, organize anadisseminate information advertising:• Forest and wood resources for sale

such as stumpage, logs, and other forestproducts along with general informationabout area mill production, species andproducts.• Markets such as timber, log and

lumber buyers, wood processing mills,export requests and specialty needrequests.• Services and miscellaneous forest

management information such as stateforesters, consulting foresters, timberharvesters, mills, truckers, industry andlandowners organizations andmanagement program information.A landowner requesting management

advice will be advised to meet with a DECforester. Along with information about theDEC's CFM (Continuous ForestManagement) programs the individualwill receive information about theCooperating Consulting Forester Pro-gram, Cornell Cooperative Extensionpublications and the American Tree FarmProgram. Individuals requestingmarketing information will receivesimilar information along with a list ofCooperating Consulting Foresters,literature about timber sale contracts anda list of all likely buyers for the describedsale. Along with encouraging theindividual to meet with a forester, arecommendation will be made to use thosetimber harvesters signed up in NYS

Timber Sale ContractStumpage prices and timber sale

contracts may not be what they seem.First, as the old saying goes, a bird in thehand is worth two in the bush. Second, theyear-after-year productivity of yourwoodland can be drastically changed bylogging that is not silviculturallybeneficial. Third, if you just think the priceis right but don't really keep current ontimber markets, you might be selling at alow price to a good business person whobuys low and sells high. Fourth, be sureyour contract protects you with aperformance bond from the stumpage

buyer, which ensures that what youspecify in the contract shall be done, andnothing you don't want will be done.Obtain professional assistance from a

service forester from the New York StateDepartment of EnvironmentalConservation, Division of Lands andForests, or from a cooperating consultantforester on that department's list ofprivate consultants. By obtainingassistance, you are more likely to get thelogging results you want as well aseconomic profits.

, I Spring-(Continued from Page 3)

Christmas trees, I like to put the moredemanding Firs on the better soils.Douglas, Fraser, Concolor andBalsam Fir are very popular whenmature. On poor soils, stick to WhiteSpruce, or French-Blue Scotch Pine.If the hay grows thick and tall,

chances are any tree will do well, butif the grasses are thin, don't expecttoo much without fertilization. Thisyear, on a poor field, I'm going to trythe fertilizer tablets available throughforestry supply catalogs.Species planted for timber are

Norway Spruce, Red Pine and Larch.Spruce is most popular since ittolerates clay or poorly drained soils,but if I had good drainage and wasoutside the Scleroderris area, I would

plant Red Pine. It grows fast andstraight, and is in great demand whenmature. Larch will outgrow Pine ongood soil, but industry seems moregeared toward the Pine. Don't forget,the U.S.D.A. will pay 65% of the costto plant for timber on 10acres or moreif the field qualifies. Under a secondprogram, smaller acreages mayqualify for cost-sharing, but theacreage limit varies by county.How do I plant? For hand planting, I

like the pointed KBC Bar availablethrough many Forestry catalogs, butthere are several tools available tosuit your style. For large jobs, onsuitable terrain, a planting machine isyour best bet. Several consultantForestry firms provide machineplanting services, or ask the NYCTGAfor a list of contractors.Well, as Bill Lubinec used to say

"enough of this superfluouspersiflage." Old tree farmers neverdie - if they plant enough trees.For more information about any

aspect or tree planting, ask your localDEC Forester, or drop me a line.Gerry Kachmor is a Senior Forester

with NYS DEC at R.D. 1 Route 11,Kirkwood, New York 13795 - (607)775-2545.

MAY/JUNE 1988 11

P. O. Box 123BOONVILLE, N. Y. 13309

U1\1U I::;~F: C::j (;3=0 ::;:;\,'.ji~~I....TE::F( tt iVlPtIE:F;~3534 UAK HILL ADMARIETTA NY 13110

1988NYFOA Spring MeetingSaturday, April 30th

Marshall Hall, SUNY - ES& F, Syracuse

Moderator: Allen Horn, Program Chairman10:00 A.M. - SILVICULTURE FOR THE SMALL PRIVATE WOODLAND OWNER

TREEPLANTING TECHNIQUES & CONSIDERATIONSRichard Garrett, NYS DEC, Cortland Office

PLANTATION CAREDavid Riordan, NYS DEC, Cortland Office

THINNING NATURAL STANDSJohn Thorington, Consulting Forester, Tully

TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT - Some Experiences of theCatskill Forest AssociationDavid Hawke, Graduate Student, ES& F, Syracuse

12:00 Noon - BUFFET LUNCHEON - Presentation of Annual Awards

1:45 P.M. - CHEMICAL CONTROL OF VEGETATION AND FORESTPESTSLarry Abrahamson, ES& F, Syracuse

SILVICUL TURAL PRACTICES FOR WILDLIFE & ESTHETICSBob Chambers, ES& F, Syracuse

Non-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDBoonville. N. Y.

13309

Permit No. 57

12 FOREST OWNER