University of Idaho School of Forestry - Forester Yearbook (Moscow, ID)

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IDAI-lO'S RECORD TREES FLOYD L. OTTER, '29 Instructor in Forestry, School of Forestry WHERE is the largest tree in Idaho and to what species does it belong? How do Ida- ho white pines, cedars, and other trees com- pare in size and age with trees of this species found elsewhere? No one knows with certain- ty the answers to these questions. My purpose in writing this article is to put before in- terested readers the facts relative to the above questions which have so far come to my at- tention. That this information is certainly fragmentary and possibly inaccurate is recog- nized. It is put before you here to serve as an outline upon which we can build a more com- plete and accurate picture of Idaho trees. I am indebted to the United States Forest Ser- vice, Regions One, Four, and Six for most of the information recorded here. WORLD'S RECORD TREES I-I. D. Tiemann of the U. S. Forest Products Laboratories has written several articles on t'big trees of the world. For purposes of comparison with sizes to be given for Idaho trees it is enough to mention that the largest recorded diameter of a tree in America north of Mexico appears to be that of a California redwood cut in 1853 which measured 25 feet in diameter inside the bark at six feet above ground. Many trees in several other parts of the world have exceeded this in diameter. Douglas fir trees appear to be the tallest in the world. One cut in 1900 measured 380 feet by steel tape. Another is reported from British Columbia to have been 417 feet high. The tallest standing tree is reported to be the red- wood, 364 feet. The redwood and Kauri of New Zealand both claim supremacy in vol- ume, C361 and 376 thousand feet board mea- sure respectivelyj. Needless to say, all reports of sizes and ages of 1'big trees must be care- fully examined before accepting them. There are errors in measurements and in human memories. Very few reports of heights, vol- umes, and ages of living trees are to be relied upon to any degree whatsoever. IDAHO BIG TREES The largest tree so far recorded in Idaho was still standing July 31, 1931. It is in the Washington Creek drainage not far from Headquarters, Idaho in Clearwater County. This giant is a western red cedar, Thuja plicccta, reported by Elers Koch and J. A. Fitz- water of the U. S. Forest Service to be 39.4 feet in circumference or about 12.5 feet in diameter at breast height. Butt swell was only normal. No larger western red cedar has come to my attention. This may be a world's record for the species. This tree takes the blue ribbon for diameter. The height, volume, and age were not and probably could not be measured. Very prob- ably this same species holds the age record for Idaho although some junipers of southern Idaho may be older. A well guarded estimate of the ages of the large cedars of the Roosevelt Grove in the Kaniksu National Forest, near Priest River, Idaho, gives their ages as be- tween 2000 and 3000 years. The Story of Redwood by Cantrell in the December, 1929 Timbermom states that the oldest redwood logged to date was 3140 years old. The 'fJar- dine Juniper just south of the Idaho-Utah state line is estimated to be about 3000 years old, but there is very little upon which to base such an estimate. The record-breaking British Columbia Douglas nr previously mentioned is believed to have been 2000 years old. The records which are on hand to date are condensed into the following table. Part I of the accompanying table gives the largest known measurements for, in some cases, well- grounded estimatesj of the largest and oldest trees found within the boundaries of Idaho. Part II gives similar information for species native to Idaho, but in which specimens of these species outside the state are reported which are larger or older than any reported to date within Idaho. Any information which will correct, corroborate or bring up to date these data, will be appreciated by the School of Forestry of the University of Idaho. According to these records it would appear that Idaho holds World records for diameter on seven species of trees, viz., western white pine, whitebark pine, lodgepole pine, ponde- rosa pine, Western hemlock, lowland white fir, and western red cedar. Of the seven species above it seems very likely that larger ponde- rosa pines have been found in other states than the one reported from Elk River. The same may be true of the other six species. We await with eagerness communications from some of the native sons of our well-adver- tised neighbor state to the south. On the other hand we need more and better information about the trees growing right now in Idaho. Idaho ought to be able to beat Montana's record Englemann spruce. The largest western hackberry may be growing along the Salmon River. How about some measurements on mountain hemlocks, alpine firs, and Lyall's larches by you lookouts and rangers? There are some enormous fire-killed mountain hemlocks near Cook Mountain on the Clearwater National Forest. No record of sizes of our common western larch seem to be available. Northern Idaho ought to be able to beat that lodgepole pine record from the Weiser and 'twere a pity if the yellow pine country tributary to Boise cannot beat northern Idaho on sizes of ponderosa pine. There follows a 37

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DO YOU REMEMBER? MUSINGS OF THE ALUMS WHEN it took two cups of coffee for a six- weeks' quizzg four for a final, and six to fill up Hank Hoffman? WHEN Prof Behre took us on a field trip to the adjacent logging camps, and I CH. Baumannj couldn't hike? WHEN Gustafson ran a race with the I Club at a football game and both won and lost? WHEN Tom Jackson broke out of the guard house at Hayden Lake encampment and made his escape in a row boat, and the thrilling capture by the oiiicer of the guard? WHEN Big Bad Bill Calendar used to tell us how the wobblies did things and some- body would always end it by saying '4Yes, 'Big Bad Bill' is 'Sweet William' now ? WHEN The Wobblies of '27 called their meetings by hanging out red lanterns? WHEN Dr. Haasis said You can pour in more cold creosote anytime now, boys ? WHEN Percy Rowe headed a self-appointed committee to investigate the actions of cer- tain members of the class who were alleged- ly s-eeking to become faculty favorites? The investigation was held in the bunk-house of the Priest River Experiment Station and the third degree was freely employed. WHEN the fellows on the Junior Field Trip, '31, took rocks to bed with them? WHEN the CoEee Club was thriving? a talk in the in his WHEN one forestry professor gave about being careful about smoking woods, then put his lighted pipe I pocket and burned his clothes? WHEN Franklin Klepinger explained tail the duties of his summer job to Wes Shull, entomology prof? in de- WHEN Jack Rodner almost froze his feet in front of a sorority house? WHEN Jemison and LeBarron spent a men- suration period discussing which way a tree leans on a side hill? WHEN Fred Kennedy found himself tied to a tree during a surveying lab and it was about 20 degrees below? WHEN and who quoted the following to the Forest Mensuration class of '29, That Rus- sian student thought he was measuring gold bricks ? WHEN a professor asked Frank Klepinger, What do you expect to learn in this course in silviculture? and Klep's answer was That's just what I want to know, Doc ? WHEN a self-appointed Vigilance Committee introduced Farmer to a cold plunge in the creek at Headquarters on the Held trip of 1929? 36 WHEN Prof. Watson was teaching a group of lumber jacks how to trim limbs from trees? I do- Give 'em the ax. WHEN Prof. Dahm arrived on time at an eight o'clock math. class? Neither do I. WHEN Leonard z'Andy Anderson held the gummy on the Junior Field Trip of 1931? WHEN the Foresters hiked to top of Moscow Mt. on a field trip and laid out over night? Rain started falling during the night and it was a wet and dejected party that hiked back through the mud to Moscow. WHEN Dr. C. A. Schenck made his original Moscow appearance in his Teutonic costume of military cape and small fedora with feather very rampant therein? WHEN the mensuration class C265 return- ing from Potlatch unloaded a truck of par- tially undressed foresters? 'fIke Burroughs will. WHEN Dean Miller entered the log chopping contest at the Barbecue in 1925? WHEN Moscow Mt., our dear old lab., was hours away for any lad? Foresters then were real he men, needing no trucks to coddle them. WHEN the forestry class started for Potlatch, away back in the winter of 1913-14 on the electric train and had to shovel the -train out of snowdrifts near Viola? Also an- other field trip to Moscow Mt. when the class was marooned in an old cabin all night and removed the ants from the sugar by the Hotation process? When the Foresters took camp cooking in the Domestic Science Dept.? When the tallest tree in the arboretum was less than five feet in height? WHEN Dodd, Gill and Eastman sang Minnie the Mermaid over the bunk-house phone at Priest River Experiment Station and the telephone girl in Priest River caught it? WHEN the Ags missed around 500 dough- nuts just before their annual dance the fall of '22? Boy, if we had had a little more time we'd had the cider also. Some feed. And a fraternity got blamed. Ha! Ha! WHEN the '30 guard school on the St. Joe turned out to be a singing in the rain party? WHEN Fred Kennedy '29, got lost from the main field party, climbed to the Ohio Match summit, and had to ride back down on the Duce ? How about it, Fred? WHEN Arlie Decker left for the east to take advanced work? We gave him a real send- olf. All who attended will never forget-not even Arlie. Ask him. On this occasion a special unveiling of the statue on the cam- pus was had. fContinued on page 523

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33 THE IDAHO FORESTER THE LARGEST RECORDED MEASUREMENTS OF IDAHO TREES PART 1, TREES IN IDAHO Common Standing, Cut, Age in Spenies Name Location Reported By or Dead Diameter Years Height Pinus 'Western Marble Creek Standiford 5 mel-ch, monticola white pine Rutledge Tbr. Co. CE. Kochi Cut 92 Stump 480 lugg Pinus IfVestern E Little N. Fork - moniicola white pine iClearwater River C. K. Mel-Iarg, Jr. Standing 84 D.B.H. -- - Pinus Western Kaniksu moniicola white pine Natl. Forest Howard Drake Cut-1922 -- L 15 logs Pinus Whitebark i Prof. Bonser, - rllbiccmlis pine St. Joe River Spokane Standing 23 Base - T Pinus Loclgepole i Weiser cantorfa pine Natl. Forest U.S.F.S. R-4 - 40.7 D.B.H. -- l Pinus Ponderosa Wolf Lodge Bay poriclerosa pine I near C. d'Alene C. K. McHarg, Jr. Standing '29 73 D.B.H. i 10? logg Pimrs Ponderosa i Elk River. Potlatch W ponderosa pine Idaho Lumber Co. Cut-1922 78 Stump 1 .1 Pinus Ponderosa Payette ponderosu pine , Natl. Forest U.S.F.S. R-4 Z 31 D,B,H, ... 208' Tsugfl Western f Upper Priest R. R. I-I. Weidman, lzeteroplzyllu hemlock 1 Kaniksu N. F. G- KSIHDYT, et 211 Standing '28 64 D.B.H. 1 - Cache N. F. fNot Pseudofsngfr Douglas stated whether in U.S.F.S. R-4 T 59.0 D,B,H, .1 l iaivifolia Iir I Idaho or Utahj Abies Lowland i N. Rocky Mt. grmidis white fir Forest Exp. Sta. G. Kempff Standing '28 53 D.B.H. - -.. -Tlmja IVestern I Washington Cr., E. Koch and plicnfn red cedar Clearwater Co. Fitzwater Standing '31 1.50 D.B.H. 1- T Tlzuja Western Roosevelt Grove, C. B. Clark, H. 2000 to plicata red cedar Kaniksu N. F. Flint, tk Gerrard Standing '19 1411 D.B.H. 3000 .... Juniperus Rocky Mt. Fiiield Basin seopuZo1-um red cedar Idaho Falls W. G. Steward Cut-1928 57.2 Base 1625 L .- -1- - 4 - v Tnfozls i Clearwater Weekly Bul., D-1 lzreuifolia Western yew i Natl. Forest U.S.F.S. 5-22-22 Standing '10 22 Base .1 393 Betula V Carpentier Cr. W-- jfO7Zff7lfIZfS Red birch Payette N. F. Floyd L. Otter Standing '31 13 D.B.H. T -- PART 2, RECORD TREES OF IDAHO SPECIES Reported found in other States Enos G1'ey's River, flexilis Limber pine Wyo. U.S.F.S. R-4 - 70.5 D,B,H, L i Pimls - flexilis Limher pine Utah Beacraft. U.A.C. Standing 37 D,B,H, U.. 4014. Picefl Engelmann Gordon Cr.. Flat- - eizgelmmmi I spruce head N. F., Mont. H. Thol Standing '29 742 at 5 feet T 2001s I 1 R. E. MQA1-die in - Pseudotswga Douglas fir Near Mineral, U.S.D.A. Tech. Cut 18-1.8f' D.B.H. logos 225fk trwrifolia N VVn. Bul. No. 201 Pseudotsuga 3 Timberman, H M taxifolia I Douglas fir Toledo. Ore. Oct., 1926 Cut i -. I 340, Pseirdotsilga Mt. VGTDOH, R. E. McArdle - N inxifolirv Douglas Hr Wasli. Tech. Bul. No. 201 Cut-1913 1 1400 i Jvmiperzfs Rocky Mt. Cache N. F.. scopulorum red cedar Utah U.S.F.S. R-4 Standing '32 95 Base 2700s 421+ Hamma Hamlna Tnxus Western yew Watershed. Olyin- R. D. Maclay, Q 48M Base brerifolicl DIC N. F.. Wash. U.S.F.S. 37 D.B.I-If fEstimated