Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 1962)
Wilderness Area Proposed An expansion of the Sky Lakes Limited area to more than 103,000 acres, and a redesignation of it as a Wilder ness area has been proposed by the Federation of Western Outdoor clubs and the Oregon Wildlife Federation. The picture to the left shows part of the northern portion of the Limited area, from near the summit of Devils Peak, looking in a north northwesterly direction In the middle distance at the right is the upper portion of the gorge of the Middle Fork of the Rogue river, with Boston Bluff above it. In the foreground is part of the Seven Lakes basin, with Middle lake and North lake showing. South lake and Cliff lake are out of sight behind trees in the foreground Alta is off to the left and Grass lake is off to the right. Lake Ivern. just to the left of Boston Bluff, is hidden bv trees. The map to the right indicates the region proposed for inclusion in the Wilderness area. The area enclosed by the shaded line is the proposed new boundary: the area enclosed bv the heavy broken line is the bo inula rv of the existing limited area. ' , . ; -' ". v :, r,v,- V '' ' f' :. " -;V .... . r' ' " . ... f,- .N: " . ' .A f. . ' 1' . 'Matures Sports v- . XL TT? -S5S'' MedfordJTmbpne J vf SECTION B MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY. OCTOBER 7. 1962 PAGES I to u ffpf, Jf ; 7" OiJl -'IJ Tree Classification A Medford man's hobby has resulted in a study by the U. S. Forest service to definitely define the proper classification of the noble and Shasta red firs in the Rogue River National forest. The hobby of Eugene L. Parker, 2326 Sunnyview lane, has taken him into the forests in the Rogue valley where he studied the various species of trees. The similar characteristics of these two species of fir-noble and Shasta red-were noted by Parker. Thinking that the identification of the two species in the national forest overlapped, Parker contacted local forestry officials who also became interested. . Earlier this year, Dr. Elbert L. Little, Jr., Washing ton, D. C, dendrnlogist with the U. S. forest service, visited the Rogue River National forest, and with Parker and local forestry officials collected specimens and cones for study of the two fir species for common and different characteristics Recently, Dr. Little suggested to local forestry offi cials that a study of the wood properties and wood anatomy of the trees be made to definitely define the proper classification. In his letter Dr. Little recommended thai five ques tions be answered. These concern whether the woods of noble and Shasta red fir are sufficiently different in wood anatomy for separate identification and whether this difference is of economic importance to justify mar keting separately and at different prices. Aski Geographical Line If separate marketing is justified, Dr. Little asked where is the geographical line of separation or the zone of overlap in characteristics, are the woods in this zone uniform or variable, and within the overlap area is the wood difference enough for field identification of trees and logs? Local forestry officials said that wood and foliage samples of both species have been sent to the Forest Products laboratory in Madison, Wise, for determination. Parker believes that the more common of the firs in southern Oregon and the California Siskiyou mountains is noble fir on the basis of botanical characters of the needles and cones. This thesis was confirmed by Dr. Little in various letters to Parker and has stated that the name Shasta red fir, as inclusively applied to all the of trees, is a misnomer. Reviewi Parker's Article While in the valley, Dr. Little reviewed an article written by Parker on this study. He assisted him in arranging the material and the manuscript, "The geo graphic overlap of noble fir and red fir," was referred to Dr. John W. Duffield, Nisqually, Wash., editor of the "Forest Science" magazine, who sent it to the Society of American Foresters for publication. The magazine is a quarterly journal of research and technical progress and Parker's article is expected to be printed in early 1!)63. In a letter to Parker, Dr. Duffield commented, "this manuscript makes a good straightforward story, and con stitutes a real contribution to botany and forestry." He also asked Parker for his assistance in a blister pitch study that is under way by the University of Cali fornia Forest Products laboratory. Left to right, Lylc Anderson of the U.S. Forest service's Medford office, Dr. Elbert L. Little, head dendrologist from Washington, D. C, Oliver Matthews of Salem and Eugene L. Parker of Medford pose in front of the Miller peak tree, which is about to relinquish its title as world's largest Brewer Weeping Spruce. (Parker photo) : 'AM, The cones of the Noble fir have long bracts which bend downward with long tapering points. Perpendicular brads with fine points are characteristic of the Shasta Red fir cone. 8t ' : I . " -r 1' 52L',lir Wife? .v' -' ' 'fult if LvHtt.- 1? 'I - ?tr .MKET Cr. CRATER LAKE NAT. PARK .' ,l 1 - t N V H I N J?. ' CEDAR 5P4S. K I 'i.' 3 1 1 A jlfVe I RUTH I A MAUDE A1, J ' - 1 1, I 1 LATHER V.-!V V MARGARET LKjJgjU J? I HORSESHOE LT l i 1 r i " I iw; I A -,1 I BCOL" SPRINGS v 1 X V ' I O KLAMATH f - ' 3 "O MARSH -s I) W island ; (f J CANYON 21, ' BUTTE cfe In 1-? KURMILELKA L-liJ V JsJPrUTAMATH MrVOOtJOHLIM EXISTIN& BOUNDRV wmw, PROPOSED BOUM0RY V-y f ") IOG&IN& UNITS LAKE OF THE WOO0s Giant of Category H.1 The Noble fir (left) has a thin bark wilh straight ridges while the bark of the Sluula rd F;r inghtl hn? a more broken pattern. iParkrr plmtni i . . This photo shows the full length (if the Miller peak Brewer Weeping Spruce, now surpassed by another lhre miles away for the honor of being largest of its kind In the world. Applegate A new can didate for the title of world's largest Brewer's Weeping Spruce tree has been found in the Siskiyou National forest, just three miles away from the pres ent titlcholdcr In the cate gory. According to Oliver Mat thews of Salem, who has discovered many "world's largest" trees In Oregon, the new candidate is til least two feet and a few inches larger in circumfer ence than the Brewer's Weeping Spruce which pre viously held the title. The old titlcholdcr is lo cated at Miller lake and for about 18 years has ap peared on the American Forest's big tree list as the world's largest of. Its kind. South of Grayback The new champion is lo cated just south of Gray back mountain, Matthews explained, about a IS min ute hike down the slope from the low saddle, about a mile south of Cold Springs on the Siskiyou National forest side of the Boundary trail in Josephine county. It is growing about the 6,000 foot elevation, about the same elevation as the Miller Lake area tree, three miles air line to the south east. There Is a second Brew er's Weeping Spruce in the area, not as large as the new champion, but larger than the old litleholder, Matthews added. The newly discovered tree was found to be larger In the following manner: Maaiurtment Mad A measurement was made at a point 4.3 feet above the ground on the upper side of the tree, which showed the new champion to be 13 feet, 1 Inch in circumference com pared to the other tree's 11 feet even. Then a second measure ment was made at a point 4,S feet above the ground on the lower side, with the new tree measuring 15 feet, 10 inches in circum ference. The old tree meas ured 13 feet even at the same point. Matthews then added the two measurements and averaged them by dividing by two. Thus the circum ference of the new tree "with the contour of the ground" is 14 feet, SS inches, compared to the former champ's 12 feet even. Height of Ntw Tret Height of the new cham pion is estimated at Rll feet and spread at 3(1 fert The new champion could be a thousand years old, Matthews said. A downed tree of the same species at Miller lake was sawed open, and a ring count made to indicate that it look 129 years to grow four inches, Matthews explained. Applying these figures to the measurements of the Miller Lake champion, Mat thews figured it to be 883 years old. By the same fig uring, the Siskiyou National forest tree is probably more than 900 years old, maybe 1,000, he said. This tree is believed to be the largest Brewer Weeping Spruce in the world. Located in the Siskiyou National forest, It Is at least two fert larger In circumference than tht previous titlcholdcr, located about three miles away. r:-'-'' mpMii No longer is this tree at Miller peak considered the world's largest Brewer Weeping Spruce. A larger one was found this year three miles away.
