118 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



with the crown of the forest, or to make any greater change in its 

 composition than the removal of mature timber itself. In this way the 

 white pine and spruce saw timber was cut and in some localities the 

 large hemlock. Subsequent cutting may be classified under three 

 heads : 



1. Cutting of softwood to a diameter limit. 



2. Cutting of all merchantable softwood. 



3. Cutting both hardwood and softwood as far as it is merchantable. 



Cutting of Softzi'ood to a Diameter Limit 



The condition of forest resulting from this method of management 

 varies with the lower limit of cutting, the type, and the period in which 

 cutting was done. Such management is the outcome of early agitation 

 for conservative methods following studies made some 20 years ago. 

 The first cut of spruce for pulp was made to a diameter limit of 12 

 inches at 4^ feet from the ground, while a later limit of 10 inches at 

 the stump height has resulted in removal of practically all merchant- 

 able soft woods. The most of the early cutting left the swamps intact 

 and also the hemlock stands. These were then removed in a later cut 

 at a considerable profit resulting from increased stumpage values. 

 Results from this method of cutting have shown after a lapse of 20 

 years : 



1. Heavy windfall of softwoods in the swamps and on thin soiled 

 ledges. 



2. Failure of medium diameter classes to recover under the closure 

 of hardwood crowns. 



o. Complete depletion of softwood seed trees on some hardwood 

 acres. 



Cutting of All Merchantable Softzuoods 



The results from this method of cutting have been complicated by 

 the size of the softwoods considered merchantable at the time of the 

 cutting and which has varied, from time to time, to such an extent 

 that no standard of result is attainable. On flats and hardwood lands, 

 the conservative removal of merchantable softwood will make the 

 resulting forest more largely hardwoods, but will not exclude soft- 

 wood reproduction. Some spots will be clear cut, and others will 

 have a comparatively complete crown cover of birch and red maple. 

 When the forest is opened severely, there will be a large mortality 

 due to windfall and exposure. , , 



