114 



OUR FORESTS 



The forest primeval. Trees are killing 

 each other in the struggle for light 

 and air. 



ing the people of this country the 

 best methods for the preserva- 

 tion of our forests. The Federal 

 government has set aside a num- 

 ber of tracts of mountain forest 

 in some of the Western states, 

 making a total area of over 

 167,000,000 acres. New York 

 has established for the same pur- 

 pose the Adirondack Park, with 

 nearly 1,500,000 acres of timber- 

 land. Pennsylvania has one of 

 700,000 acres, and many other 

 states have followed their ex- 

 ample. 



Methods for Keeping and Pro- 

 tecting the Forests. — Forests 

 should be kept thinned. Too many trees are as bad as too few. 

 They struggle with one another for foothold and light, which only 

 a few can enjoy. In cutting 

 the forest, it should be con- 

 sidered as a harvest. The 

 oldest trees are the [^ ripe 

 grain," the younger trees 

 being left to grow to matur- 

 ity. Several methods of re- 

 newing the forest are in use 

 in this country. (1) Trees 

 may be cut down and young 

 ones allowed to sprout from 

 cut stumps. This is called 

 coppice growth. This growth 

 is well seen in parts of New 

 Jersey. (2) Areas or strips 



may be cut out so that seeds A German beech forest. The trees are kept 

 from Tipio-hhnrine- trpp^ arp thinned out so as to allow the young trees 



irom neignoormg irees are ^^ ^^^ ^ ^^^^^ Contrast this with the 

 carried there to start new picture above. 



