HOW TO DOUBLE PROFITS FROM TIMBERLAND WITH NEW TECHNIQUES OF THE 1990'S
A VARDAMAN SEMINAR FOR LANDOWNERS, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, JULY 20 & 21
The decade of the 1980's was an extremely productive one from the standpoint
of research. When it ended, there were available to southern timberland
owners several powerful "tools" to help them understand and increase the
growth of timber stands. When these tools are applied properly and at the
same time, they will produce remarkable increases in physical and financial
yields. We used "double" in the title of the seminar and feel certain that
this is no exaggeration; under certain conditions the increases will be
even larger. These tools, concepts, and techniques will be presented in
full at the seminar.
We have assembled an outstanding panel of scientists who will use videotapes,
computer displays, slides, and other teaching aids to describe these developments
clearly and in detail. Many of the techniques may appear to be "unconventional
wisdom," but as you will see, they have solid scientific bases and provide
refreshing, profitable answers to some of the oldest and most bothersome
forestry problems. There will be plenty of time for questions and demonstrations.
Here is the program:
July 20
1300 "Using a Model to Determine How to Get the Most Growth and Yield" by
Dr. Harold E. Burkhart, Director, Loblolly Pine Growth and Yield Research
Cooperative, Virginia Tech.Dr. Burkhart's earlier work is well-known to
readers of this newsletter, but a new addition makes for extraordinary realism
and flexibility. He will display on a screen a stand of 400 trees with their
individual DBH's, locations, and quality grades (and heights when necessary)
and then thin them one at a time with a pointer. It's the next best thing
to being in the woods. But the priceless attribute of the model is that
it enables you easily to test in advance the profitability of all forest-management
plans.
1410 "Selection of Most Profitable Plan by Economic Analysis" by Tim Wickersham,
President, James M. Vardaman & Co., Inc. After a brief discussion of real
rates of return, Wickersham will explain how to determine stumpage values
for trees of various sizes and then fit them into appropriate formulas.
These procedures are explained in detail in Chapter 17 of Jim Vardaman's
new book, but the calculations at the seminar will be made quickly by computer
and shown on a big screen.
1450 Coffee break.
1510 "How Trees Grow and How Cultural Practices Effect Site Index" by Dr.
Stephen G. Pallardy, Associate Professor of Forestry, University of Missouri.
Dr. Pallardy has been often quoted in this newsletter and is co-author with
Drs. Paul J. Kramer and Theodore T. Kozlowski of the most thorough going
book on tree physiology that we know of. He will describe the effects of
herbicide treatment, use of genetically improved seedlings, wide spacing,
and large-caliper seedlings on site index and estimate their magnitudes.
1610 "How to Select the Correct Herbicide Treatment" by Dr. Shepard M. Zedaker,
Virginia Tech. As director of a cooperative project at Virginia Tech, Dr.
Zedaker has developed ChESS (Chemical Expert System for Silviculture), a
computer program using artificial intelligence to solve one of the most
difficult problems facing forest managers today.
1710 Adjourn for the day.
1830 Cocktail party with lots of finger food, courtesy of James M. Vardaman
& Co.
July 21
0800 "The Gains from Using Specific Families of Genetically-improved Seedlings"
by Michael S. Waxler, Hot Springs, Arkansas. Waxler is Southern Tree Improvement
Manager for Weyerhaeuser Company, which has pioneered the business of selling
"super seedlings" and is the only one now providing pedigrees of trees.
0830 "The Gains from Using Large-caliper, Properly-spaced Seedlings" by
Dr. David B. South, Auburn University. Dr. South is director of the Auburn
University Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative and a leading
authority on the field performance of pine seedlings.
0900 "New Techniques in Planting Seedlings and Their Effects on Survival
and Growth" by John Blake, Auburn University. Dr. Blake is Assistant Professor
of Forestry, Auburn University, and has extensive experience in planting
in the west, where larger seedlings are usually planted.
0930 Coffee Break
0950 "The Vardaman Spot Treater, a New Machine for the Application of Liquid
Herbicides at Precisely-located and Marked Spots" by Paul D. Teter, District
Manager, James M. Vardaman & Co., Inc., Albany, Georgia. This machine was
developed by Vardaman over the years 1987 to 1989. It can be mounted on
any ordinary skidder and is used to treat clearcut areas from which almost
all standing trees were removed. Teter will show a videotape of its operations.
1020 "The Vardaman Tree Planter, a New Machine for the Proper Planting of
Large, Bare-root Seedlings at Precise Locations" by Paul Teter. This machine
is brand new; only the prototype planted trees in the past season. It can
be mounted on any ordinary skidder and uses a shovel-like technique to plant
seedlings on unprepared sites that skidders can traverse. Teter will show
a videotape of its operations.
1050 "One-year, Two-year, and Ten-year Results of Applying These New Techniques"
by James M. Vardaman Vardaman will show several videotapes of stands that
were created with the techniques. There will be many views in the 10-year-old
Leland Speed Plantation and tables of its measurements. He will show economic
analyses of these results and discuss what they can mean to timberland owners.
Finally, as a review of everything presented, he will lead a discussion
of whether the Vardaman 7-5-4 Hypothesis described in our April 1989 newsletter
should be revised.
1200 Adjourn
Computer programs developed by Drs. Burkhart and Zedaker and copies of Vardaman's
book "How to Make Money Growing Trees" will be for sale at the seminar.
The computers used by the speakers will be available during off hours to
seminar participants.
The seminar is unusual in that it is designed for the management group of
James M. Vardaman & Co. as an intensive training course in the latest techniques
in making money growing trees. Nevertheless, there is room for other timberland
owners, and they will help the learning process with their questions and
opinions, so we invite all serious investors to attend. Cost of the seminar
is $200 per person payable upon reservation, and there is no discount for
multiple reservations. The full amount will be refunded to those who cancel
before July 10. Attendance is limited to 100 persons.
Headquarters for the seminar is the Downtown Marriot in Atlanta, Georgia.
Each registrant should make his own arrangements with the hotel.
We think you will find the concentrated presentation of forest management
information to be extremely valuable.
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