WOODLOT FORESTRY 



121 



The Woodlot as It Should Be 



ground fully occupied by thrifty, valuable trees. cuttings made to improve the remaining 



stand, and to secure a new stand of the best kinds. young growth already started 



cause of irregtilarities in boundary lines, 

 a considerable amount of land cannot 

 be used without undue expense in extra 

 fencing, etc. Again, many times, be- 

 cause of labor conditions, a piece of 

 land/^which might otherwise be used for 

 pasture or crops, is not needed, and 

 coiild profitably be used for tree growth. 



The aesthetic value is a factor which 

 cannot be accurately measured in its 

 value to a place. Certainly it is con- 

 siderable. For example, on a comitry 

 place the difference between attractive 

 woods and scrubby worthless brush or 

 waste places would be enough to make 

 a great difference in the value attached 

 to the whole place; and for purposes of 

 sale, an attractive place could be dis- 

 posed of very much more easily than an 

 imattractive one. In fact, an attractive 

 grove of trees might often be the de- 

 termining factor in a sale. 



Or, if one goes to buy a farm and sees 

 a piece of poor brush land or waste land 

 his estimate of the value of the whole 

 place is mcuh lowered; if that same 

 piece is covered with a well-set thrifty 

 grove, even if yotmg, his estimate of 

 the value is raised. 



PROTECTION TO WATER SUPPLY. 



Aroimd springs a piece of woods is 

 one of the best means of providing 

 against their drying up. In country 

 places where a large and abundant sup- 

 ply of pure water is desired, the main- 

 tenance of woodland aroimd the source 

 of supply is a very valuable means of 

 conserving it. 



As a special problem, the value of 

 woods on village, town and city water- 

 sheds is especially great. In such cases 

 a considerable area of land must gener- 

 ally be held anyway to protect the 

 purity of the water supply. This pur- 

 pose can best be advanced by the main- 

 tenance of a good forest cover on the 

 land, which wiU also prevent he silting 

 up of the reservoirs, and irregularities 

 in supply; at the same time yielding a 

 profit from the use of the land. 



There are still other uses which are 

 hard to classify. Thus, it is well known 

 that in keeping insect attacks on valu- 

 able farm crops under control, insectiv- 

 erous birds, etc., are of great value. 

 These always are able to thrive better 

 when woodlots are at hand, in which to 

 nest and seek shelter. 



