230 



Maple and willow will respond well to a system of reproduction by 

 sprouts. 



The upland forests are mainly woodlots, and should be managed 

 by the group selection system. The steep slopes and many stands 

 now in "brush" will have to be handled very carefully, fully protected 

 from fire and grazing, and given many improvement thinnings. Many 

 pastured lots will have to be planted to bring them to a proper state 

 of density and to insure a good composition. Besides the oaks and 

 hickories, it will be well to discriminate in favor of walnut, cherry, 

 and basswood as far as possible. The small groups of aspen that are 

 found far north are only a temporary type and will be naturally super- 

 seded by better and more tolerant species. This process may be 

 anticipated by planting if desired. 



Sand Lands. — In the sand plains and dunes of northern Illinois 

 the whole effort should be directed toward holding the soil and im- 

 proving the condition of the stands. These woodlands must be viewed 

 as protection forests, and no cuttings should be allowed that will in 

 any way tend toward the deterioration or opening up of the stands. 



Where the present forest is fairly dense and the trees average over 

 twelve inches in diameter breasthigh a light selection-cutting is allow- 

 able, but great care must be taken to keep the crown cover dense enough 

 to prevent the drying out of the ground. Other cuttings in younger 

 stands must be confined to cleanings and improvement thinnings. The 

 so-called "scrub" growth requires careful treatment of this kind and 

 should be handled as intensively as financial considerations will permit. 

 The red and black oak should in all cases be favored rather than the 

 blackjack. The inferior species may be handled on a short rotation 

 and used for firewood, but the young trees of the better species should 

 in all cases be allowed to grow to a larger size, at least until they are 

 suitable for ties. This will gradually change the composition of the 

 stand and increase the number of the better species. In cases where 

 the stand is all of one species, such as blackjack, which never grows 

 to any great size, the cuttings should be in strips in a direction at right 

 angles to the prevailing wind. These strips should not be over twenty 

 feet wide and should alternate with a strip of uncut woodland of equal 

 width. The stand may be much improved if these strips are planted 

 with bur, red, or black oak acorns. 



The greatest need of this type of forest is protection from fire and 

 grazing. Very light grazing may be permitted among the older 

 stands, but should be avoided if possible. Fires should be kept out 

 at all costs. 



Over a large part of the sand lands there is now no forest growth, 

 and steps should be taken to remedy this condition both for the pro- 



