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

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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

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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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THE IDAHO FORESTER list of the species of trees not mentioned here- tofore which are known to be native to Idaho and for which we have no size or age measure- ments whatsoever: White fir, Abics concolor. Utah juniper, Jim-iperus utcchensis. Rocky Mt. red cedar, Jwniperus scopulorum. Western juniper, Jtmiperus occidentalis. Dwarf juniper, Jzmiperzts commzmis. Aspen, Populus tremulofides. Northern black Cottonwood, Populus tricho- carpet. Balsam poplar, Populus balsaimifera. Narrow leaf poplar, Populus cmgustifolia. Paper birch, Betula payJy1'iferct Q1arict'Zcs. White alder, Alnus rhombifolicr.. Mountain alder, Almts temcifolia. Thornapple or hawthorne, cmtaegus sp. Boxelder, Acer neyzmdo. Dwarf maple, Acer glabrum. Curl-leaf mountain mahogany, Cercoccwpus lcclifolius. Western chokecherry, Primus 'virginicma 'va- rieties. Bitter cherry, Przmus emarginata.. Cascara, Rhamfmfts pu'rsl1,'icma. Western mountain ash, Sorbus amcricoma sitchensis. Western serviceberry, Amelomchier. Blueberry elder, Sambucus coerulea. PROPER TREE MEASUREMENTS ESSENTIAL Tree diameters should always be measured at breast height-MW feet above groundj. A string or cord which does not stretch can be carried in the pocket and used in the absence of a diameter tape. The cord can be cut or marked at the circumference length, measured at any later time and converted into diameter in inches to tenths. Care must be taken to avoid or record abnormal butt swell and gross irregularities in bole circumference. The exact 39 location should be noted so that anyone can check the measurements. The report should be made to the School of Forestry, University of Idaho, Moscow. The nearest National Forest officer will also be glad to receive any report of large trees. If measurements of large trees which have been cut are sent in, the lo- cation of the stump should be given and any corroborating evidence such as the names of the logging companies and the scaler or other person actually measuring the tree should be given. Newspaper clippings are of value. OTHER RECORDS Some other interesting tree records have ap- peared. The Pend d'Oreille National Forest has a section of white pine 14 inches D. B. H., with only 21 annual rings. There are only 11 rings in the last 5 inches of growth and during the last decade of its life it increased in di- ameter QMQ inches, almost an inch a year. First place for height goes to the western white pine reported by Howard Drake shown in the table, Part I, He states this tree yield- ed 15 sixteen-foot logs or 240 feet of mer- chantable length. The additional length of top and stump was not stated. What site index would this tree indicate, you students of Chapman? Further, Mr. Drake states that the quarter section of timber from which the tree came cut eleven million fe-et of white pine besides five million mixed species, or enough timber for 1,000 average houses. At that, though, it would take three acres to pro- duce as much wood as has been taken from one giant redwood. And finally, Mister Smokechaser, with your little Pulsaki tool, how would you like to find that your fire was in the top of a 67-inch d. b. h. fire-killed Idaho white pine reported from the Kootenai National Forest and your job was merely to fell the tree. SCHOOL HAS DISTINGUISHED VISITORS Mr. Howard Drake, Logging Engineer of the Coeur d'Alene National Forest, gave a series of two lectures to Idaho School of For- estry students, Thursday, February 23. Tim- ber Appraisals on the National Forests was the subject of his lecture to the logging and lumbering students. Later in the day he dis- cussed fire protection to the class covering this subject. Mr. H. L. Redlingshafer, regional fiscal agent for the U. S. Forest Service, Alaska, was a School of Forestry visitor on Thursday, November 17, 1932. His son, Thomas, is registered as a freshman in the School of Forestry. The elder Mr. Redlingshafer was greatly pleased with the Idaho forest school. Mr. Charles K. McHarg, Jr., Regional For- est Inspector, with headquarters at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, chose Aspects of the Idaho Forest Law in his lecture to the forestry students on December 20, 1932. Mr. E. A. Sherman, Associate Forester, U. S. Forest Service, Washington, D. C., with Mr. Meyer H. Wolif, Assistant Regional For- ester in Charge, Office of Lands, U. S. Forest Service, Missoula, Montana, were callers at the School in early fall. Mr. Wolff returned late in March to be present at the Associated Foresters' Annual Banquet and on March 30, this year, delivered an interesting lecture to the students on the subject The New Public Domain which he has defined elsewhere in this issue of THE IDAHO FORESTER. Mr. Sher- man is author of the article entitled Planning a Forest for the University of Idaho, also contained in this issue of THE IDAHO FOREST!-IR.