llMl'IkKAI, roKKSTKV I X Till". ADI RON |)AC KS 123 



that tht' plantiiiii is undertaken soon enou^di after the tire as to enal)le 

 the planted species to get a start over the inevitable competition with 

 native growth of ferns, brake, shrubs, and brush. Underplanting in 

 a sapling stand gives little promise of success and should be avoided 

 over wide areas. If the planting operation is delayed until a stand of 

 hardwood saplings gets started on the site, it seems best to abandon 

 the oi)eration of artilicial reproduction and let the area revert to its 

 forestetl condition naturally. 



I'l.A.NTl.NG ON CUT-OVlvU LAND 



The first forestry operation within the Adirondack region were 

 uiKtcrlaken with the direct purpose in mind of achieving a desirable 

 reproduction on cut-over land by artificial means. These plantations 

 which are upwards of 20 years old were placed for the most part on 

 open or burned-over land. While they had given a full demonstration 

 of success as such, from the standpoint of management and especially 

 of management seeking the best plan applicable to its cut-over areas, 

 they do not solve the problem entirely. The difBculty presented has 

 been that of getting cut-over land free from slash, bushes and hard- 

 wood brush at the time of the planting, without running fire over the 

 land first. There is not a single instance to be found where clear- 

 cut forest land has been planted without first a preparatory burning 

 to clear the site which has lived to a size suitable to show results. 

 That such a plantation was undertaken in the Axton-Wawbeek areas 

 is well known, but these special plantations have been wiped out by 

 fires which swept over a part of this area subscciuent to the relinquish- 

 ment of its management by Dr. Fernow. 



The nearest approach to the desired condition is to be found in the 

 Wawbeek planting area, along the Tupper Lake Wawbeek road, about 

 a mile west of \\awl)cck. The area was planted in 11)0 i behind a 

 shelter belt of uncut timber, in full accordance with the experimental 

 plan develojied by Dr. Fernow. The original forest type was mixed 

 hardwood having a small number of spruce in the mixture. The soil 

 is glacial boulder till and of good depth except for one ledge outcrop. 

 'I'he slope is of medium grade and faces northerly, extending down to 

 spruce flat type on the north edge. All of the old stand of timber was 

 removed, even to the cordwood, and the brush was burned in small 

 piles. Judging from the number of fire-scarred stumps, the burning 

 destroyed a large amount of potential hardwood reproduction. 



