MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 219 



as it was largely used to furnish fuel, fencing, and local construction 

 timber. Xo provision was made for the reproduction of a desirable 

 crop, inferior species were left to occupy the ground, and as a result 

 there remain defective old trees of the desirable species and a large 

 amount of undesirable trees like gum, willow, sassafras, sycamore, and 

 scrub pine. Such trees as the chestnut and- yellow poplar being vigorous 

 sprouters, have in many places withstood the encroaching of inferior 

 trees. 



Owing to the fact that fires are not prevalent in the county the forest 

 soils have remained unchanged and their capacity for timber production 

 is normal. They are capable of supporting a very vigorous growth of 

 all desirable species. That no effort is being made to grow a good timber 

 crop is partly due to lack of interest on the part of owners and tenants on 

 these lands, but mainly to a lack of knowledge of the possibilities of the 

 lands for timber production under management. 



Future Improvement. 



The forest lands of the county are in a depicted condition, yielding but 

 15 cords of Avood per acre where they should yield 15,000 feet of good 

 lumber. There are in the county 50,000 acres capable of producing 

 good grades of chestnut, white oak, and yellow poplar. These lands are 

 capable of a minimum yield of 15,000 feet per acre. This means a gross 

 yield for the county of 750,000,000 feet of lumber worth, at present 

 prices of the lower grades, $7,500,000. This crop is easily started (in 

 many places is already started), and requires but little attention, and 

 that at a time when other work on the farm is not pressing; the harvest 

 is certain and the product readily sold. The arguments so often advanced 

 against the holding of timber do not apply to the lands in this county. 

 The timbered areas are portions of small farm holdings that have been 

 in the hands of the present owners or their families from one to five 

 generations, and taxes are paid annually on these lands whether they 

 yield a revenue or not. There is nothing to prevent the growing of a 

 timber crop but the lack of interest and information on the part of the 

 owners of forest lands. 



