114 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



staud of timber in which Yellow Poplar, Ash, Ilickorj^ Walnut, and 

 White Oak will be much better represented than in the present forest. 



(4) A plan is outlined for the protection of the cut-over lands 

 against fire. 



The application of practical forestry to this tract is exceedingly 

 important as a long step toward the adoption of conservative forest 

 methods in the Southern Appalachians. 



Another tract for which a detailed working plan was prepared lies 

 in Scott, Campbell, and Anderson counties, Tenn., and has an area 

 of 50,000 acres. The field work occupied a party of 10 men for four 

 months. The tract is situated in the bituminous coal district of the 

 Cumberland Mountains, and in addition to a valuable stand of hard- 

 woods the property contains numerous accessible veins of soft coal, 

 for which a good market exists. The object of the owners is to lumber 

 conservatively in conjunction with mining operations. The main 

 object to be ^^'orked for is to combine present profits with a valuable 

 second crop. To this end the more valuable species will be favored 

 in the lumbering and so given every chance to reproduce themselves 

 well. The present forest is a mixture of hardwoods with a sprinkling 

 of White, Sliortleaf, and Scrub Pine, and Hemlock. It is remarkable 

 for the number of species. Among the more imijortant are Yellow 

 Poplar, Ash, Hickory, White Oak, Chestnut Oak, Black Oak, Post 

 Oak, Black Walnut, and Black Cherry. Most of the merchantable 

 timber stands in the coves or hollows, while the slopes are covered 

 by an open and less valuable growth. As a basis for an estimate of 

 the stand of merchantable timber, all the ti-ees were actually meas- 

 ured on 2.5 per cent of the total ai-ea. To ascertain the merchantable 

 contents and the rate of growth of the commercial kinds, measure- 

 ments called stem analyses were made of 2,474 felled trees. For 

 greater accuracy, the tract was divided into 18 blocks, the boundaries 

 of which correspond to the boundaries of the smaller watersheds, 

 and the stand was calculated separately for each block. The working 

 plan contains detailed silviciiltural descriptions of the three principal 

 types of forest growth — coveland. Chestnut Oak slope, and Black 

 Oak slope. It also discusses the silvicultural characteristics of the 

 most important species, and gives diagrams showing their rate of 

 growth in diameter, height, and merchantable contents. The regu- 

 lations for lumbering give the diameters for each species, under which 

 no tree should be cut, and direct that certain trees of the more valu- 

 able species above this diameter limit be marked and left standing to 

 furnish seed for a second crop after lumbering. A jjlan is outlined 

 for the protection of cut-over lands from fire, and recommendations 

 are made concerning transportation and contracts for the sale of 

 stumpage. The working jjlan is accompanied by a forest map, show- 

 ing the distribution of the important timber trees. The conditions 

 on this tract are peculiarly favorable to the successful application of 

 practical forestry. 



A tract of 00,000 acres for which the field work was completed is 

 that of the Okeetee Club, in Beaufort and Hampton counties, S. C. 

 The important tree here is the Longleaf Pine. As a result of the past 

 management, the forest varies irregularly from mature stands to 

 young woods, and is broken by occasional patches of open ground, 

 where heav}^ cutting followed bj^ fire has destroyed the forest alto- 

 gether. The hearty cooperation of the Okeetee Club in the scientific 

 investigations of the Bureau of Forestry and the exceptional oppor- 



