10 IMPROVEMENT THINNINGS IN 



ranging from 3 to 7, sometimes even more. This makes for height 

 growth. 



A moderate thinning would remove only the dead, suppressed and 

 poorer intermediate trees. This would not stimulate diameter 

 growth very much, and it is this diameter growth which is desired 

 in the chestnut stands of the ages mentioned above. 



The advent of the chestnut blight, and the possibility of the 

 destruction of the chestnut by this fungous disease within a com- 

 parative short length of time, makes it imperative that the stands 

 of chestnut should be brought up to merchantable size as fast as 

 possible. 



A heavy thinning, which would include the trees removed in the 

 moderate thinning, with the addition of some codominant trees, 

 would result in increased rate of growth. 



A damage cutting should be made at the same time as the thin- 

 ning and all diseased trees removed. This should be repeated every 

 year or two if possible. 



EXPLANATION OF DIAGRAMS. 



We have endeavored to represent in Diagram No. 1 a section of 

 a typical sprout chestnut stand, 50 feet in length and 20*feet in 

 width. The trees of the dominant class are marked A; the inter- 

 mediate class, B; and the suppressed trees, D. The small maples, 

 although apparently suppressed, are not so ; but, being very tolerant 

 of shade, they have come up under the shadow of the chestnuts, 

 and form a sort of second cover. The trees removed in thinning 

 include five suppressed, two intermediate and one dominant. The 

 dominant chestnut was removed primarily because of its poor, 

 crooked bole, and secondarily because there was a good red oak 

 and a chestnut ready to grow into the vacated space. The maples 

 were no{ cut because they were so small that they could not inter- 

 fere with the larger trees, and they help to keep the ground shaded 

 until the broken cover is re-established. Diagram No. 2 represents 

 the stand as it appeared after the thinning. 



