220 THREE ACRES AND LIBERTY 



the lower branches, these soon die and become brittle; 

 they then fall off or are broken off by the wind, snow, or 

 other agencies. By this process trunks are formed which 

 are free from limbs, and hence of high quality. 



It is evident, therefore, that trees in the wood lot should 

 be so crowded that the crown or top of each individual 

 tree may be in contact with those of its nearest neighbors. 

 A crowded stand of trees produces not only a larger number 

 but also a greater proportion of high quality sawlogs than 

 an uncrowded stand. So vital a matter is their forest shade 

 that it does not do to set out young trees which have grown 

 in the forest. Ordinarily, the exposure to the sunlight 

 stunts them and often kills them. Nursery trees are best; 

 the next best are trees that have grown at the edge of the 

 woods. 



The actual value of woodland as pasture is small. One 

 dollar per acre per year is probably a liberal estimate of the 

 value of its forage. Thrifty fully stocked stands of timber 

 will grow at the rate of 250 or more board feet of lumber 

 per year. Adopting only 250 board feet as the growth and 

 assuming the value of the standing timber to be from $5 to 

 $8 per 1000 feet board measure, the value of the timber 

 growth is from $1.25 to $2 per acre per year. 



If the timber is given good care, moreover, the growth 

 should be as much as 500 board feet per acre per year. The 

 larger value of the wood lot for growing timber, as compared 

 to the value of its forage only, is therefore apparent. 



It must not be thought possible to secure this growth of 

 timber and utilize the wood lot for pasture at the same time, 

 because the stock eat the seedlings and damage the trees. 



If shade, however, rather than forage is the wood lot's 

 chief value to stock, it can doubtless be provided by allowing 



