IIARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 203 



crease in this county unless the proposed railroad should he opened 

 and the population increased in the neighhorhood of Point Lookout. It 

 is believed, therefore, that it would not lie jirofitable to manage a woodlot 

 for the production of cordwond only, under present market conditions. 



Summary. 

 The following is a summary of the principal facts determined by a 

 brief study of the forests of St. Mary's County : 



1. Almost one-half of the area of the county is covered with forests. 



2. The most ilesiralde timber has been cut. 



3. Formerly, the forests consisted of hardwood species. 



4. At present, 20 per cent of the forests of the county are scrub and 

 loldolly pine, the pines tending to become tlie prevailing species. 



5. The most valuable timl)er now standing is white oak, loblolly and 

 scrul) pines. 



G. The hardwood forests are very uneven-aged and irregular in density 

 of stand which renders lumbering difficult and improfitalde. 



T. The white oak and chestnut whicli are the most va]ual)le railway 

 timbers are becoming scarce. 



8. Yellow poplar and scrub pine are largely cut for puljiwood. 



9. Red gum which was formerly of little use and importance is now 

 in demand for hmiber and the manufacture of veneer. 



10. Fire and grazing which have retarded satisfactory reproduction 

 have injured tlie mature tindjcr of the county very little. 



11. Forest land could l)e made fully profitable by carrying out the 

 following recommendations: (a) Removing dead, dying, and over- 

 mature trees, (b) Itemoving mature or inferior trees which are 

 suppressing or hindering desirable young growth from coming 

 up in the forest, (c) In case of excessive ciitting leave at least from 3 

 to .5 seed trees to the acre, (d) Planting where desiral:>le reproduction 

 is not coming up reasonably soon after cutting, (e) Preventing fires and 

 excluding grazing animals from areas where young growth is coming up. 



