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to the removal of the next best. All the most valuable species, black wal- 
nut, yellow poplar, white ash and the best oaks, have been cut away, leav- 
ing only a few maples, beech, ironwood, buckeye and the like. Many of 
these are crooked, defective and otherwise undesirable. At no time has 
any care been exercised to protect the undergrowth of young seedlings. 
The floor also presents a very different appearance from what it once did. 
A dense bluegrass sod has taken the place of the undergrowth and rich 
forest litter destroyed by constant pasturage. A heavy growth of grass is 
in itself an enemy of trees, for it not only makes reproduction harder but 
also smothers the roots of those already growing and robs the soil of mois- 
ture so essential to good tree development. 
Some may ask what it matters if the conditions are thus. Are not 
the farmers in better circumstances now than they were forty years ago, 
yes, even ten years ago? Financially they are, but with wise and proper 
management of their woodlots they could realize stili larger profits from 
their farms. 
THE WOODLOT. 
USES. 
There are many reasons why woodlots are valuable. They furnish 
timber for all farm needs, protect buildings and crops, shelter live stock 
and materially help in preventing erosion and in ornamenting the country. 
Firewood.—Firewood comes first in the list of timber used for farm 
purposes. The early methods of using wood in a fireplace were wasteful. 
The introduction of stoves resulted in a great saving of fuel. But fuel 
production was not the only purpose served by the forest. Now lack of 
timber and the cost of getting crooked and knotty trees cut into firewood 
have compelled the use of a substitute. Most farmers would be glad to 
have again a plentiful supply of cheap fuel. 
Posts—tThe setting of 1,000,000,000 (estimated) fence posts per year 
shows us another very important use for timber. According to the last 
census 8,715,661 of these posts were produced from the regular logging 
camps of the country. The use of these posts as supports for woven wire 
fence is very economical when compared to the former practice of building 
rail fences, many of which were of black walnut, the most valuable timber 
Indiana ever produced. Their gradual displacement by wire or picket 
fences is a great step towards forest preservation. 
