876 JOURNAL OP FORESTRY 



established the forest conditions when they may be expected to seed up 

 to more valuable species. 



What will be the final proportion of seedlings to sprout remains 

 to be seen, but it is evident that there will be enough seedling growth 

 to prevent the new forest assuming the character of a straggling cop- 

 pice stand and to form with it a closed stand over the area except 

 such parts as old roads, etc., where little reproduction is found. 



GROUND COVER 



The radical change from a damp, shady virgin forest to hot, dry 

 cut-cover lands was too great to be. endured by most of the ground-cov- 

 er plants and they have practically disappeared. The absence of the 

 ground hemlock (Taxis canadensis) which covers almost as a blanket 

 large areas of the forest floor was particularly noticeable here. This is 

 probably not an unmixed disadvantage as this plant often competes 

 severely with the young seedlings. Grasses and briers of various 

 kinds have come in wherever opportunity ofifers but apparently only 

 where the mineral soil has been exposed. 



LOGGING SEASH 



The slash was heaped up roughly in loose scattering piles by the 

 swampers to get it out of the way. Owing to the fact that the area 

 was worked over after cutting for distilate wood the slash was com- 

 posed of smaller pieces than would otherwise have been the case. 

 It has scarcely begun to rot. The piles still stand from one to three 

 feet on the ground and are hard and brittle. It is difficult or impos- 

 sible to walk through them. Berry bushes and occasional seedlings 

 have pushed their way up through them but largely they have hindered 

 regeneration. They are still a distinct fire risk, and would afford suffi- 

 cient inflammable material practically to wipe out the new stand. 



CONCEUSIONS 



It would be premature to outline a scheme of forest management 

 based on the data here outlined, but if more extended observations 

 show it to be typical of cut-over and unburned hardwood lands, utili- 

 zation of the" ■ sprouting capacity of the stumps in the subordinate 

 stand could probably be taken advantage of in a silvical system.^ 



The Michigan Agricultural College Forestry Department has em- 

 barked on a systematic study of this problem and hopes as time goes 

 on to accumulate data leading to definite conclusions. 



_ ' In this connection see pages 40, 41, and 42 of • "The 'Northern Hardwood 

 Forest: Its Composition, Growth, and Management," by E. H. Frothingham. 

 Bulletin 285, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 



