CHAPTER IX 

 FOREST UTILIZATION 



THE farmer may get comparatively little use from the 

 timber on the woodlot and render the future crop almost 

 worthless by poor judgment and careless handling. It 

 is a common practice for the farmer to cut his timber 

 without any thought to its usefulness or value. He goes 

 to his woodlot for his winter supply of firewood. Oak, 

 hickory and maple make the best fire; and the largest 

 and straightest trees make the most wood for the least 

 work. It follows naturally that the best trees are first put 

 in the cord wood pile. The result, which does not enter 

 into his calculations at the time, is disastrous. Not 

 only could these trees have been put to a much more valu- 

 able use, but their removal means a depletion of the better 

 species and ideal conditions for the reproduction of the 

 poorer species which are left. We must remember that 

 it is the kind of seed trees which we leave that determines 

 the composition of the future stand. If nothing but weed 

 trees are left, they will be quick to take advantage of 

 the situation, and the next crop will be nearly all weeds. 



The owner should consider carefully this selection in 

 his cuttings. He should have an eye to the market for 

 different wood products in his locality and cater to the 

 most profitable. Of course this is possible only when the 

 woodlot is of considerable size and more than sufficient 



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