218 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



which should be used first. I wanted to clear 

 out much of the useless underbrush, but we had 

 only time to make a beginning in this effort at 

 forestry. We went over perhaps ten acres across 

 the north line, removing briers and brush. Every- 

 thing that looked like a possible future tree was 

 left. Around oak and hickory stumps we found 

 clumps of bushes springing from living roots. 

 These we cut away, except one or possibly two 

 of the most thrifty. We trimmed off the lower 

 branches of those we saved, and left them to 

 make such trees as they could. I have been 

 amazed to see what a growth an oak-root sprout 

 will make after its neighbors have been cut 

 away. There are some hundreds of these trees 

 in the forest at Four Oaks, from five to six inches 

 in diameter, which did not measure more than 

 one or two inches five years ago. 



As the underbrush was cleared from the wood 

 lot, I planned to set young trees to fill vacant 

 spaces. The European larch was used in the 

 first experiment. In the spring of 1897 I bought 

 four thousand seedling larches for $80, planted 

 them in nursery rows in the orchard, cultivated 

 them for two years, and then transplanted them 

 to the forest. The larch is hardy and grows 

 rapidly ; and as it is a valuable tree for many 

 purposes, it is one of the best for forest planting. 

 I have planted no others thus far at Four Oaks, 

 as the four thousand from my little nursery 

 seem to fill all unoccupied spaces. 



