LOBLOLLY OE NORTH CAROLINA PINE. 153 



number of trees of relatively high grade. By uniform spacing to secure 

 the fullest individual growth, trees of large diameters and yielding a 

 valuable product could be obtained. (Table 78.) While not without 

 drawbacks, this method of cutting has many advantages in its favor. 

 The advantages and disadvantages of this method are as follows: 



1. The cut per acre which can bo made at one timfe by a logging 

 crew is less with two (-linings than with clean cutting. This, however, is 

 fully compensated for by the larger size of the logs, resulting in 

 cheaper logging and cheaper millwork. 



2. Logging the eld trees in young stands is somewhat more costly 

 than clean cutting. This, however, is again compensated for by the 

 cleaning and thinning of the young growth. 



3. Some of the young trees are broken down by felling the larger 

 trees. With careful felling the damage is small, since the old sup- 

 pressed and intermediate trees have very long, rather than wide-spread- 

 ing, heavy crowns. 



4. The reduction in the volume which is cut per acre also increases 

 the cost of railroad construction per 1,000 feet cut. This, however, is 

 far more than met by the enhanced value of the product. In practice it 

 should be easy to determine whether the increased value per 1,000 feet 

 of the stand will be greater or leas than the increased cost of production 

 per 1,000 feet. 



Since too many trees in the old stand will retard the height growth 

 of near-by groups of young trees, the first cutting must be moderately 

 heavy. The retarding of the dominant trees in the young stand, how- 

 ever, is desirable since the trunk is freer of knots, the knots are smaller, 

 and the proportion of high grade lumber is greater in dominant trees, 

 particularly in the lower logs, when they are crowded. This system of 

 cutting is one which has been satisfactory to the lumbermen for many 

 years, and which helped to maintain the supply of loblolly pine in the 

 Norfolk (Va.), Albemarle Sound, Plymouth (N~. C.), and Washing- 

 ton (N. C.) sections. It has further the advantage of affording heavy 

 cuttings at intervals of not more than twenty years and, therefore, 

 should be practiced in place of clear cutting, which makes logging pos- 

 sible only at from 40 to 50 year intervals, and yields a lower grade of 

 logs. In following gradual felling, however, the suppressed trees which 

 are left for additional growth should not be relied upon for seed trees, 

 but these should be reserved from the dominant part of the stand. These 

 should be trees with the choicest stems and should be carried to large 

 diameters, if their rate of growth is satisfactory, to furnish high grade 

 veneer stock, or large size piling, or choice sawlogs which will yield 70 

 per cent of No. 1 and No. 2 lumber. 



The form of forest sought should be large even-aged blocks. In log- 

 ging with railroad it is possible to thin one block when the adjoining 

 block is being cut for larger timber. This makes thinnings possible and 

 yet maintains the cut. 



