MARYLAXD GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 201 



be utilized. In mixed liardwood forests, the selection system of cutting 

 should be put in operation. The principal of the selection method 

 is that the trees shoiild be selected and cut here and there in the 

 forest according to the owner's purpose. In this method trees may 

 be removed from year to year as tliey reach a required diameter, and 

 the wood from the top of those trees in addition to that which results 

 from the cutting of inferior species and diseased trees will yield fuel 

 supply for the owner. For the production of telegraph poles and 

 railroad ties the trees may be cut as soon as they reach the desired 

 diameter, and for wood for construction purposes, considerable thinning 

 must be made so as to give the larger trees sufficient light and growing 

 space. In this way the forest is opened rather uniformly and at the 

 same time sufficiently to permit the reproduction- of desirable species. 



In forests composed mainly of oaks and chestnut, which sprout well 

 from the stump, it may be advisable to cut most of the good-sized trees 

 over a part of the tract for the purpose of raising a crop of sprouts. 

 Stumps should be cut low and slanting, so as to prevent rotting and 

 secure strong and numerous shoots. Trees from seeds are, however, more 

 desirable than those from sprouts if large timber is the object. Sprouts 

 are freqiiently defective at the l3utt. 



The pine forests are invariably even-aged and seldom need any fiirthei 

 attention beyond that of protection from fire, which has thus far been 

 no great source of damage in this county. The stand of pine necessarily 

 needs to be rather dense, so that the lower part of the trunk will shed 

 its branches early from want of sufficient light. In harvesting a growth 

 of pine clear cutting is recommended with from 3 to 5 seed trees left 

 distributed as uniformly as possible over every acre, if the area is again 

 expected to grow up to pine. "When broad-leaf trees are desired on 

 such cleared areas, planting is advised. Acorns of red and white oaks 

 may be planted four by four feet apart. Acorns for this pui-pose must 

 be collected in early fall and put in boxes with alternate layers of sand. 

 The boxes containing the acorns must be kept in a moist, cool place 

 over winter. They may be buried in the earth about a foot below the 

 14 



