456 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



trees become stag headed and finally die. The hog is the only animal oil 

 the farm which may be of benefit to the woodlot. Where the woodlot 

 has a well littered forest floor and reproduction is not abundant under 

 good light conditions, turn in the hogs after the nuts and acorns fall 

 in the autumn until freezing weather. The hogs will tear up the surface 

 mixing the leaf mold with the mineral soil also embedding a portion of 

 the nuts and acorns in the mixture. Under these conditions, the chances 

 for abundant reproduction the spring after a heavy seed year, are very 

 good. After this reproduction has been secured, keep the hogs out. If the 

 woodlot is in a vigorous productive condition, it is worthy of as good a 

 fence as the clover field. 



Wind does greater damage to small isolated patches of timber than 

 any other factor. In early spring it blows over shallow rooted trees 

 when the soil is still moist and carries away the litter of the forest 

 floor, thus leaving the seedlings bare and subject to killing by the alter- 

 nate freezing and thawing and heaving of the soil. The hot wind of the 

 summer, sweeping through the timber, dries out the soil and hardens it 

 retarding the growth of old trees and in many cases, actually killing 

 S(iedlings and saplings. 



In winter, the snow in a well protected forest lies evenly, thaws gradu- 

 ally and thus has time to soak into the ground. In a wind swept area 

 of timber, the snow will be carried through and dropped on the edge of 

 the lee side of the woods; here it will bank up until the warm spring 

 days when it will thaw rapidly and run off, eroding the fields, filling 

 drains and causing floods. 



Nature provides a wind break on the boundaries of all woods by the 

 large leaved branches formed in the sunlight and the forest seedlings 

 in the form of undergrowth which develops most vigorously where light 

 is abundant. Nature's protection thus formed should never be broken 

 except in very small areas and then only gradually. 



If it were not for recurring fires, the cut over pineries of the north 

 would doubtless now be clothed with a young forest growth of almost 

 priceless value. Michigan would then look forward to sending out pine 

 from her boundaries as of old, instead of bringing it in from the south 

 and west. 



Fire was the greatest aid to the early settler in land clearing, when 

 timber was of slight value, but by the time timber values began to rise, 

 the careless use of fire had become a habit. Even now, farmers permit 

 their slashings to burn for days unattended when a strong wind might 

 cause a fire which would wipe out a community, as has actually been 

 the case several times in our state. Fire protective associations have 

 been formed by large lumber companies and the public in general is 

 rapidly beginning to realize the great importance of efficient protection 

 to timber lands. Usually the fire risk is extremely low in cases of 

 isolated woodlots away from railroads and camping places. It is 

 useless to endeavor to protect timber growth within 150 feet of the 

 right of way of a railroad, especially on main lines. Fire lanes should 

 be formed by clearing off a strip 150 feet wide and keeping it under clean 

 culture. Branches too small for fuel left after cutting should be either 

 piled and burned in an open space or lopped and spread so as to come 

 in close contact with the damp earth of the forest floor, thus hastening 

 decay. 



