296 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



trees should be kept in a vigorous, growing condition, as the 

 profits are as much enhanced from this cause as any of the 

 cultivated crops. 



Few American fields require planting with forest trees. 

 The soil is everywhere adapted to their growth, and being 

 full of seeds and roots, when not too long under cultivation, 

 it needs but to be left unoccupied for a time, and they will 

 everywhere spring up spontaneously. Even the oak open- 

 ings of the West, with here and there a scattered tree, and 

 such of the prairies as border upon woodlands, when rescued 

 from the destructive effects of the annual fires, will rapidly 

 shoot up into vigorous forests. I have repeatedly seen in- 

 stances of the re-covering of oak barrens and prairies with 

 young forests, which was undoubtedly their condition be- 

 fore the Indians subjected them to conflagration ; and they 

 have indeed, always maintained their foothold against these 

 desolating fires, wherever there was moisture enough in the 

 soil to arrest their progress. 



In almost every instance, if the germs of forest vegetation 

 have not been extinguished in the soil, the wood-lot may be 

 safely left to self-propagation, as it will be certain, to produce 

 those trees which are best suited to the present state of the 

 soil. Slightly thinning the young wood may in some cases 

 be desirable, and especially by the removal of such worth- 

 less shrubbery as never attains a size or character to render 

 it of any value. Such are the alders, the blue-beach and 

 swamp-willow ; and where there is a redundance of the bet- 

 ter varieties of equal vigor, those may be removed that will 

 be worth the least when matured. In most woodlands, 

 however, nature is left to assert her own unaided preferences, 

 growing what and how she pleases, and it must be con- 

 fessed she is seldom at variance with the owner's interest. 

 Serious and permanent injury has often followed close 

 thinning. 



In cutting over woodlands, it is generally best to remove 

 all the large trees on the premises at the same time. This 

 admits a fresh growth on an equal footing, and allows that 

 variety to get the ascendancy to which the soil is best suited. 

 En older settled States, where land and its productions are 

 comparatively high, many adopt the plan of clearing off 

 everything, even burning the old logs and brush, and then 

 sow one or more crops of wheat or rye, for which the land 

 is in admirable condition, from the long accumulation of 

 vegetable matter and the heavy dressing of ashes thus re- 



