RULES OF MANAGEMENT. 45 



The quantity of timber taken annually from the tract has no bearing 

 upon the main question before the company: Whether the applica- 

 tion of conservative lumbering is justified by the value reasonably to 

 be expected for a future crop of timber from the lumbered area. 

 Under the very small added expense incident to the application of the 

 rules for forest management which follow, the productive capacity of 

 the cut-over lands will be preserved and they will supply a second 

 crop of merchantable timber, which represents an exceedingly good 

 rate of interest upon the capital invested in them. Whether the second 

 crop is grown in order to be cut by the Sawyer & Austin Lumber Com- 

 pany, or whether the cut-over lands be sold after the merchantable 

 stand is removed, has no bearing upon the advisability of conservative 

 lumbering in the present case. The increased value of the cut-over 

 lands in either event renders the application of practical forestry in 

 the lumbering now going on a safe and advantageous business measure. 



RULES OF MANAGEMENT. 



CUTTING LIMIT FOR PINE. 



The cutting limit for pine should be placed at 14 inches on the stump 

 ( L2 inches breasthigh). This is advisable for the following reasons: 



(1) The largest cut at the present time will be obtained. 



( 2 ) An equal cut can be harvested after the same number of years 

 required in case a higher cutting'limit were used. 



(3) As a result, a sustained annual yield equal to the capacity of the 

 mill can be obtained by the addition of a much smaller forest area than 

 that required by a higher diameter limit. 



(4) With a cutting limit of 12 inches, logging operations will be more 

 concentrated and hence more profitable than if the limit were higher. 



(5) A cutting limit below 12 inches would be inadvisable both 

 financially and silviculturally. 



SEED TREES. 



When the first cutting is made a small number of Loblolly and 

 Shortleaf Pine trees above 12 inches in diameter breasthigh should be 

 left standing. These trees should be selected and marked beforehand 

 by a trained forester. The Bureau of Forestry cooperates with the 

 Sawyer & Austin Lumber Company in these markings. It is probable 

 (hat after they have once been well started by an agent of the Bureau, 

 and a competent man in the employ of the company has had oppor- 

 tunity to become thoroughly acquainted with the manner in which 

 tiny are made, they can be carried out successfully thereafter under 

 his supervision alone. The number of trees to, be left should be 

 determined by the nature of the locality. In all eases the Loblolly 

 is to be favored, unless the locality be distinctly unfavorable to this 

 species. The leaving of such trees for seed purposes will not involve 

 any appreciable loss to the company. 



