timber or a railroad tie. Persistent harvesting, coupled with the destructive impacts of wildfire, insects, diseases, and wind, have nearly eliminated the original old-growth sawtimber stands on upwards of one-half of the commercial forest acres in the Black Hills, and left only light stands of scattered old-growth remnants on the bulk of the remaining acreage. Despite these massive withdrawals, however, growing stock capital has not been depleted. On the contrary, it has increased steadily in recent decades to unprecedented levels. Total annual increment of merchantable wood, forestwide, has also increased until it is now roughly equal to the average annual cut during the 21 years of unhampered forest exploitation which preceded establishment of the Reserve (USDA-USDI 1967). It is equally remarkable, after all this harvest activity, that only about 1 percent of the commercial forest acres in the Black Hills are currently classed as inadequately stocked for timber production. The important implication of these facts seems clear: the old-growth pine forest of the Black Hills has been converted-with uncommon success and completeness-to a wellstocked and manageable second-growth forest. Furthermore, the conversion has been accomplished with no large or prolonged falldown in forest productivity. These facts provide convincing evidence of the feasibility of successful timber crop culture in Black Hills ponderosa pine, on a sustained basis. All that is needed is sufficient managerial skill and silvicultural know-how. PURPOSE OF PAPER This Paper is an attempt to bring together in a single reference most of what is known about silviculture of ponderosa pine in the Black Hills. The Paper is intended specifically as a field guide for professional foresters who are responsible for prescribing and supervising the application of silvicultural treatments in the woods. It attempts to describe (1) all of the major silvicultural conditions, or problem situations, that the field practitioner is likely to encounter, (2) the treatment options that reasonably, may be exercised in each particular situation, and (3) the probable results and practical implications of the various options-insofar as they are predictable-to help the silviculturist choose the option which will come closest to satisfying established management l

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Ponderosa pine trees representing 79 provenances were tested near Towner, N. Dak. Eight provenances can be recommended for planting in the northern Great Plains, based on 10 years in the plantation: 721 (Valentine, Nebr.); 720 (Ainsworth, Nebr.); 811 (Jordan, Mont.]; (722 Chadron, Nebr.); 703 (Cave Hills, S. Dak.); 816 (York, Mont.); 704 (Slim Buttes, S. Dak.); and 757 (Rosebud, S. Dak.).

Leader damage prevented observation of beginning height growth date.