458 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Causes of fires should be ascertained and damages secured to inculcate 

 in careless individuals and railroad companies, the importance of great 

 care. 



In cases where woodlots are adjacent to towns, cities or car lines, much 

 annoyance is caused by trespassers, pot hunters and boys who are usually 

 little skilled with the proper use of a gun. Besides destroying the bird 

 life of the woodlot which should be the pride of every farmer, cases have 

 arisen where valuable stock has been seriously injured by misdirected 

 shooting. The whole country should organize to stop such trespassing 

 and do away with this actual danger to the country community. 



Much damage has also' been done to growing timber by draining adj;i- 

 cent farm lands. Such damage is unavoidable and is but the result of 

 extending the cultivated areas. The damage may be far reaching, ex- 

 tending to areas some distance from the lands being drained. The 

 old timber in such cases is unable to adjust itself to new conditions — 

 trees become stag headed and either die outright or make but a very slight 

 growth. Such has been the case over large areas of Black Ash aad 

 Tamarack swamps until these two species are almost commercially ex- 

 tinct. In the case of the Tamarack, the sawfly has also been a direct 

 cause of diminishing the present stand. 



CUTTING. 



The relation of trees to each other should be carefully observed. Thin- 

 ning should be light and frequent and made at intervals according 

 to a continuous, definite plan. The density of the stand should be de- 

 termined by the density of the crowns. Never admit suflScient light to 

 permit the abundant growth of grass or the encroachment of briars. 

 Thinning should be made early but not until the resulting saplings will 

 in part at least pay the expense of cutting, as used for fuel. 



Tree weeds should be eliminated from the forest growth as rapidly as 

 conditions will warrant. They are usually short lived dwarf species of 

 quick growth of very little or no commercial value, which occupy space 

 and utilize the moisture and plant food which should go to developing 

 the more important commercial species. Such species as Blue Beech 

 and Witch Hazel are practically worthless as far as their wood is con- 

 cerned while Ironwood, Dogwood and Thorn Apples grow to large sizes 

 and are much used for making small utensils, bolster stakes, wagon 

 reaches, etc. Aspen or trembling poplar, while of large connuercial 

 importance in the manufacture of paper pulp, is usually considered as 

 a weed of the woodlot as it does not attain a large size and makes but 

 a poor grade of fuel. Other species such as Juneberry, Alder, Pin 

 Cherry and Sumach should be cut, making room for more valuable 

 species as rapidly as possible. 



In cutting for market, where the woodlot is to be maintained, it should 

 be carried on by a selection system. This, too, should follow the same 

 continuous plan as thinning. Cnt the dead and down timber first, then 

 the injured trees and those which are or soon will be conflicting. Work 

 toward a single species or a desired combination of species. Cut in the 

 winter when snow is on the ground so falling timber will not injure the 

 seedlings and young growth. The harvesting of timber should be spread 

 over a series of years, thus avoiding a radical change in the make-up 

 of the forest. Each year's cut should be as nearly the same as possible. 



