CARING FOR THE GROWING WOODLOT 111 



that remain will be apt to develop large limbs and the trees 

 become of poor form. 



The trees to select for cutting in the woodlot in order to 

 improve its character are those that the woodlot can well do 

 without. 



Large Limby Trees. In nearly every woodlot large trees 

 with long limbs can be found that spread over a large space. 

 They are sometimes called wolf trees. They are usually of 

 slow growth, having passed the period of greatest vigor. Such 

 trees ought to be removed, for they occupy the space many 

 vigorously growing trees might occupy. Usually they are 

 allowed to grow from year to year because of the difficulty 

 of cutting them out and the labor necessary to work them up 

 into cordwood. The removal of such trees is of great ad- 

 vantage to a woodlot. It enables several trees to start and 

 grow in the place of the tree removed. 



Defective Trees. Often trees can be found whose crowns 

 have been badly broken by winds or snow or other causes. 

 Owing to the reduced size of the crowns these trees will have 

 but a slow growth and there is danger of decay entering the 

 trees through the broken parts. They should be removed to 

 make way for others. 



Misshapen Trees. The trees that should be encouraged to 

 grow in the woodlot are those with straight full boles. Such 

 trees should be kept to grow to large size. Trees with crooked 

 or gnarled trunks, or those that fork close to the ground, or 

 that have been struck by lightning or are otherwise misshapen, 

 should be cut before those of better form. 



Stagheaded or Spiked-topped Trees. Often trees will be 

 found with dead tops, due to one cause or another. These 

 have usually passed their prime. The dead tops show that 

 they are no longer growing vigorously. They should be re- 

 moved, to allow younger and faster trees to take their places. 



Diseased Trees and Insect-infested Trees. When trees 

 become weakened from any cause they become the prey of 



