174 THE PRINCIPLES OF HANDLING WOODLANDS 



production of small trees and saplings. The stumps are 

 so small that they are rapidly covered over by the new 

 growth. If the stumps are cut properly they are covered 

 before decay sets in. With larger trees, such as are cut 

 in this country, it is often not possible for the new growth 

 to cover the whole stump; but low stumps mean vigor- 

 ous sprouting, little hindrance to individual development 

 by the sprouts, and much less danger from decay than 

 is apt to occur after careless cutting. 



The Cutting. It is important to remove the wood 

 from the clearing as soon as possible. Where the wood 

 is piled and left in place for a season, a good many 

 stumps are inevitably covered by the stacks, and thereby 

 prevented from sprouting. Moreover, when the wood is 

 taken, it is usually done by driving on the area with 

 a team and heavy wagon. Large numbers of one-year 

 sprouts are broken off and otherwise damaged in this 

 way. 



One of the serious problems in this country is the dis- 

 posal of the brush. Ordinarily the farmer throws the 

 brush in windrows. They may actually cover about 25 

 per cent, of the whole area cut over. These piles cover 

 a large number of stumps, and either prevent them from 

 sprouting or cripple the sprouts enough to make them 

 useless. 



Maintenance of Density. If the stand is in healthy 

 condition when cut, the stumps sprout vigorously and 

 a full stand is the result. It often happens that certain 

 stumps have failed to- sprout, or through previous abuse 



