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deal of our cutting is done carelessly. Too high a stump is left, 

 so that, when the sprout comes out, it is liable to be broken off by 

 wind; whereas, if the stump had been cut low, even though it re- 

 quired a little more bending of the back, the sj)rout would be 

 able to establish a root system of its own, and there is then al- 

 most no limit whatever to the life of the mother stump. If a 

 higli stump is left and the sprout comes up six, eight, or ten 

 inolies from the ground or further, we cannot expect anything 

 else tlian the gradual dying out of the mother stump; hence a 

 great deal can be done in properly cutting the chestnut which 

 we wViiit to reproduce by sprouts. Another cause for unsatis- 

 factory results from reproduction by sprouts, and perhajjs a jus- 

 tilial)le one, in view of present markets, is the leaving of old mis- 

 formed trees and forest weeds. These low-growing, lialf-trees 

 are usually very tolerant and shade the sprouting stump in a 

 way that prevents vigorous growth. A certain amount of shade 

 is desirable, but,, as a rule, in our wood lots the owner, or the 

 contracting cutter, does not pay much attention to these weeds 

 and leaves them. They take advantage of the space and so shade 

 the ground or the sprouting stumps that the sprouts are not vig- 

 orous. One or two cleanings to remove these undesirable trees 

 would make the competition for space and liglit much less severe 

 and no doubt would result in better formed chestnut and oak, 

 and the chestnut, because healthier, would be better able to re- 

 sist both insects and fungi. These cleanings can be made as re- 

 peated cuttings on an exceedingly short rotation, even tliough 

 the product will be of value for posts and mine props only. If, 

 instead of this weeding out, so to speak, of blight-infested trees, 

 liere and there, we might induce the owners to use a definite sys- 

 tem of cutting, I believe we would be accomplishing more per- 

 manent results. If instead of this destruction of scattered in- 

 fested trees, wliich may be and probably is effective in the south- 

 eastern part of the State, on small tracts, if, in the place of this 

 weeding out process, I say, we could induce tlie owners to use 

 some such system as clear-cutting and phmting with non-sus- 

 ceptible trees, or cutting so as to keep the forest reproducing 

 rapidly by sprouts, I believe we would accomplish very much 

 more for forestry in Pennsylvania. If we could in some way 

 bring about such market conditions as to justify clear-cutting 



