THE FARMER'S WOOD LOT 397 



4. Look for the trees that are beginning to rot. They will 

 have shelf-like brackets or toadstools growing on the sides. 

 These are the fruiting bodies of some fungous disease. They 

 will produce millions of tiny spores, that will be blown around 

 by the \^dnd looking for wounds or openings in the bark of other 

 trees. There is no practical way to fight these fungi in the wood 

 lot except to keep the trees healthy, and the bark free from 

 damage. The infected trees are enemies to the others. Cut 

 them out. 



5. Look for the trees that are infected with injurious insects. 

 There are many kinds of forest-destroying insects that strip off 

 the leaves, destroy the bark or wood. Individual trees of great 

 value can be successfully protected against these insects by 

 intensive methods. In general, however, it is best to cut the 

 infested trees out to better protect the others. 



6. Cut all dead trees and rotting stumps and branches. They 

 are breeding places for both fungi and insects, and are enemies 

 to your wood lot. 



7. Distribute your cuttings over the whole wood lot or a part 

 of it. Do not cut all in one place. It makes too big a hole in the 

 canopy or "roof," and lets the soil dry out. This tends to keep 

 out the natural reproduction of the species that you want. 

 Cutting around the edge also lets in too much wind. Keep as 

 dense growth as possible on the boundary of the wood lot. 



8. If for some reason you must clear out your wood lot, or 

 have cut too heavy in one place, plant it up with wild or nursery 

 grown stock. If you do not, it will become waste land, or become 

 restocked by worthless growth. Keep the best species there by 

 planting when necessar^^ 



9. Do not cut too heavy over the wood lot. It may cause loss 

 by windfall, and too rapid drying of the soil. It means that you 

 are taking out some of your capital, when it is desirable to take 

 out only the interest. The amount that can be safely cut each 

 year is the amount that is added by new growth. The forester, 

 by means of growth and yield studies for a definite tract, can 

 tell exactly what this amount should be. For the Average Avood 

 lot it is probably between two cords and one cord per acre per 

 year. You can start with that as a basis, and keep watch of the 

 conditions of your stand. If you see that you are opening it up 

 too much, do not cut quite as much next time. If you find that 

 it is getting a little more dense, cut a little more. 



10. Make each tree that you cut serve the purpose for which 

 it is best suited. Convert it into the product that will bring the 



