CONSEKVATION COMMISSION 129 



iu places where the original stand has at one time or another been 

 removed, excellent stands of second growth hardwoods have sprung 

 up. (See Plate III.) Although such stands cover only a small 

 part of the area, they form a striking contrast with the over- 

 mature and decadent stands which cover the greater part of the 

 area. (See Plate I.) 



The original stand found on the slope type was composed of a 

 mixture of hemlock and hardwoods. During the period of the 

 hemlock bark industry in this region, most of the hemlock was 

 cut, the bark peeled and dra'^vn to market while the bodies of the 

 trees, representing many thousands of board feet of timber, were 

 left to decay in the forest. The massive trunks of many of 

 these old specimens may be seen lying in the woods, now in the 

 last stages of disintegration and decay. A few of these large 

 hemlocks standing in the most inaccessible situations w^ere left 

 untouched (see Plate V), but their numbers were insufficient to 

 furnish seed to fill up the blank spaces, and the faster growing 

 hardwoods now occupy the area; that is, the stand now consists 

 mainly of beech, birch and maple, the greater part of which is 

 overmature and suffering from decay and which could be better 

 replaced by a more thrifty second growth. (Compare Plates I 

 and III.) ' 



Conservative lumbering could well be practised on this type, 

 since the character of the site is such that natural reproduction of 

 the stand could be easily attained under silvicultural manage- 

 ment. By so doing, this area could be made to produce valuable 

 crops of timber, whereas, the present production is, in all proba- 

 bility, more than offset by decay of the overmature timber. 



At present there is practically no reproduction of the stand in 

 the slope t}^e. The removal of the overmature and decadent trees 

 would afford an opportunity for the beginning of a new crop. 

 (Selection system.) 



The forest floor is in good condition, plentifully supplied with 

 litter and humus. Underbrush is not very abundant, being con- 

 fined to such species as striped maple, mountain maple and witch- 

 hobble. 



The general distribution of the tree species found in this type 

 is as follows: beech, birch and maple are about evenly distributed 



5 



