THE WOOD CROP 



223 



poles or posts for sale. With the present prices, the wood- 

 lot is often the most profitable part of the farm, and 

 future prices promise to be much higher. 



Nearly every farm should have a wood-lot to furnish 

 posts, fuel and repairs for home use. The majority of 

 farms have some land 

 that is practically use- 

 less, and this land is 

 usually the best for 

 trees. A little attention 

 to planting good seeds 

 or seedling trees, and 

 to cutting out the poor 

 kinds, will often trans- 

 form these waste areas 

 into very profitable 

 woods. In the central 

 West, there are many creeks and draws that are too steep 

 or too wet or wash too much to be used for farm purposes, 

 but that furnish an ideal place for trees. On farms where 

 none of these conditions exist, a wood-lot may often be 

 desirable near the buildings as a windbreak. If a small 

 grove is planted, it will also furnish posts. 



As a general thing, trees should not be planted between 

 fields or in fields. A row may be grown along the public 

 road, because they make the place more attractive. It 

 is very often desirable to change the shape and size of 

 fields. Trees along fence lines prevent this. They also 

 sap the land for many feet. This land is usually worse 

 than lost, for it is generally farmed each year and both 

 seed and labor are lost. If left in sod, the loss is less. 



FIG. 110. White pines coming into a pas- 

 ture. On this land trees pay better than the 

 poor pasture. 



