BUITDIIIG CO}ITRACTORS

PIAII IITttl TRADE GROUP

Thof wos o 1923 heodline in tos Angeles, fust prior to the founding ol the Building Conlroctors Associotion. The group, whose firrl presidenl wot Sfonley Shove, hos grown lo o stole-wide orgonizolion, with l6 choplerr in thc l2 Southern Colifornio counlies olone. Present prexy is C. J. Williom Millerburg.

Mony of the eorly Associotion members were, ond still ore, customers of E. K. Wood. At lhe time of the group's orgonizolion, E. K. Wood hod been supplying quolity building moleriols to los Angeler conlroctors ond builderr for 23 yeors.. "Goods of the Woods" the E. K. Wood slogon, hos ttood for quolity, service ond foir deolings for over

Experimental Aerial Brush Spraying

Experimental aerial brush-spraying is being carried on by Weyerhaeuser Timber company, according to Robert M. Ramstad, resident forester at the firm's Clemons tree farm near Elma, Washington.

"If we are able to control the brush in the 5 and lO-acre plots we are spraying, reforestation will be 'substantially easier," reports Ramstad. "Thickly growing vine maple, big-leaf maple, alder, salmon berry, thimble berry, salal, Oregon grape and other plant varieties have made it very dif;ficult to restock certain areas with Douglas fir."

The company hopes aerial spraying will reduce the brush competition for the few years needed to establish vigorous young stands of fir. Heavy brush makes seeding or planting operations difficult and chokes out y.oung firs before they can reach the ,sun above the brush umbrella.

"The sprays we are using have no deleterious effect on animal or bird life," Ramstad continued, "and especial precautions are taken to keep the chemicals within the boundaries of the small experimental plots. Sixteen plots are receiving experimental dosages of these sprays and all are six miles or more from the nearest edge of the tree farm."

"We know that a considerable saving in chemicals and manpower can be effected by spraying from the air instead of the ground, he said. "What we hope to determine is just how efficient these particular weed killer.s are from the air on these brush species and whether or not largescale aerial spraying is feasible."

Weed killers being used are of both new and old formulations, and while proven through ground application, .some are new to aerial spray work. Chemicals being tested were purchased from American Chemical Paint Co., Ambler, Pa., with Philip A. Watke, the firm's northwest field representative, supervising the mixing. Various "carriers" or "vehicles" for the chemicals are also being tested.

Spray contractor is Ray D. Souther, Ritzville, Washington. Souther, a veteran of S-years of applying chemicals from the air, leases spray planes from Central Aircraft, fnc., Yakima, Washington, hires the necessary pilot.s and ground crewmen, then contracts independently to carry out specific spraying jobs.

The chemicals are applied with a modified Stearman biplane-a revised version of the military PT-17, well-known to World War II aviation cadets. Modifications con.sist of an increased horsepower from 220 to 450, the substitution of larger wheels and braking surfaces and the placement of the spray tank in what was formerly the forward cockpit. A standard spray boom, slung just belorv the lower u'ing, dispenses the mix.

Rugged terrain in forest areas, coupled with the necessity for low-level flying in order that sprays may be kept within the experimental plots and properly saturate the brush to be killed, make expert flying a must.

According to Ramstad, final results of the spraying will not be known until after another growing season when residual effects, kill percentage, seed germination in sprayed areas and similar factors may be fully mea,sured.