Canadian Forestry Journal, May, ip20. 



227 



How To Improve A Small Woods 



■ by B. R. Morton, B.Sc. F., Ottawa 



An Answer to a Score of Questions 



Through Forestry Journal 



Pages 



A\'hat is the condition of your 

 woodlot today? Examine it carefully. 

 Does it contain the best kind of 

 trees? Has the past cutting pretty 

 well removed most of the better 

 species, and made space for the less 

 desirable? Are willows, hawthorns, 

 ironwoods, soft maples, and aspen, 

 occupying ground that might better 

 be growing sugar maple, beech, ash. 



hickory, oak or white pine' 



Are 



many of the old trees dying, decayed, 

 crooked, forked or so widely branch- 

 ed that they" are holding in check the 

 young trees beneath them? Are there 

 open grassy spaces without any trees 

 or are the younger trees in the open 

 places so far separated that they are 

 branched almost to the ground? Are 

 the trees crowded so tightly that rone 

 of them can make proper growth ? If 

 any of these conditions prevail, your 

 woodlot is in need of atention. 



The conditions in woodlots are so 

 variable that without making a care- 

 ful examination it is impossible to give 

 anything but general advice regarding 

 their care. It is possible only to 

 point out some of the things that 

 should be borne in mind when under- 

 taking this work. }iluch dc])cnds- up- 

 on the judgment n\ the i)crson in 

 charge. 



Protection Against Animals. 



The first step to be taken in tlu- 

 care rif the woodlot is its prolectiiui 

 aeainst injury by animals and tire 

 The grazing of stock in the wtHidlut 

 is one of the greatest causes ol its 

 deterioration. The same piece oi 

 ground will n(it serve as a pasture, 

 and remain a profitable woodiest tor 

 anv ctinsidcral)le length of time. If it is 



necessary that your livestock should 

 have access to shade, fence ofif a small 

 portion of your bush and confine 

 them to this. Goats, sheep, cows and 

 horses destroy hardwood seedlings by 

 browsing on them. Goats and slie?p 

 are the worst offenders in this respect. 

 They will eat many woody plants not 

 touched by others, and during the 

 hot part of the day they stay in the 

 shady part of the woods, nibbling at 

 tlie small trees in preference to graz- 

 ing on the grass growing in the sun- 

 ny openings. 



The injury done by livestock is. 

 however, not confined to the young 

 trees. As a result of the destruction 

 of the underbrush the soil is exposed 

 to the sun and wind. These, together 

 with the tramping about of the stock 

 cause the earth to become packed, 

 dry and hard, and the rain, instead 

 of being absorbed and retained for 

 the use of the trees, runs oft" the sur- 

 face, carrying with it much vahial^le 

 humus which acts as a fertilizer. 

 Shallow-rooted trees are seriously in- 

 iured bv. having their roots exposed 

 and barked. Much of the staghead- 

 ness. i.e.. dead tops, is caused by this 

 f(^rni ^-^i injury. 



Keep Fire Out. 



Fire sh»~iuld ne\er be allowed to 

 run through the wiKxllot. Many wood- 

 lots show traces of fire damage. 

 11iese fires in most cases ha\e been 

 the result of carelessness on the jKirt 

 o\ the owner .m- his neighbor. Projier 

 l)ree;iution was not taken when burn- 

 ing stumps or brush and the lire was 

 .•iliowfd to spread through tlie leaves 

 and underbrush. .^ome owners are 

 short sighted enough to beliexe that 



