366 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



silvical region can apply the best treatment for varying forest condi- 

 tions. Nevertheless for much of central New England, where the 

 second growth forests are vigorous and prolific and, for the most part, 

 uninjured by fire, a very simple policy will go far toward maintaining 

 forest production. Slash disposal, while not indispensable on hard- 

 wood lands, must be carried out on pine lands. The wind-rows of 

 tops on cut-over pine woodlots often cover from 30 to 50 per cent of 

 the ground surface and so densely as to preclude all reproduction. 

 There is thus a serious waste of growing space in addition to the fire 

 risk. The better the market and the greater the available technical 

 skill the more intensive can be the methods applied to forest produc- 

 tion. But, if on either pine or hardwood land, merely the present 

 clear-cutting is practiced, on a rotation of not less than fifty years, 

 if slash is disposed of and fire subsequently kept out, it will be a long 

 step toward successful forestry. 



