120 THE CORNELL READING-COURSES 



ing, fuel wood, and the like, than for saw logs. The same stump will not 

 usually produce more than two or three generations of sprouts to advan- 

 tage; after two or three crops of sprout timber have been cut, it is better 

 to start the next crop from seed. The stumps of old trees do not usually 

 produce vigorous sprouts. 



By seed blown from neighboring 'trees 



Another method of starting trees is by seed blown from neighboring 

 trees. Light seeds, such as those of pine, spruce, hemlock, and poplar, 

 may be carried long distances by the wind; but it is not safe to rely on 

 thus seeding the ground thoroughly for a distance greater than twice 

 the height of the trees from which the seed comes. Such trees as maple, 

 elm, and ash cannot be expected to scatter seed thoroughly for a distance 

 greater than their own height. Trees with heavy seeds, such as hickory, 

 chestnut, walnut, beech, and oak, do not scatter their seed far, and this 

 method cannot be used with such trees. 



A better stand of young trees will be obtained if the seed falls on bare 

 soil instead of on a thick leaf mulch. Usually much of the litter has been 

 destroyed in the larger openings in the woods, and this is a good thing 

 at the time when young trees are to start, although at all other times 

 we should keep the litter carefully. If the soil has become hard, or covered 

 with dense sod, it will help things greatly to loosen the soil and to break 

 up the sod somewhat. This can often be done by letting hogs root around 

 in the woods. The animals must be kept out as soon as the seed falls. 

 Sometimes it will be found practicable to loosen up the ground a little 

 with a disc harrow. Even if only small patches of loose soil appear, these 

 patches will give seed falling on them a much better chance to start. In 

 some cases even the plowing of single furrows here and there can be done 

 to advantage, not attempting to make the furrows straight, but dodging 

 stumps and roots wherever necessary. 



When harvesting timber this method of relying on seed from neighboring 

 trees to start the new crop is often advisable. Sometimes the harvesting 

 is done by cutting single trees or small groups here and there in the woods, 

 wherever there are ripe trees; in this case the seed need not be blown far 

 in order to fill up the openings. At other times considerable areas are 

 to be cut clear. In such cases it is often a good plan to do the cutting 

 in strips, cutting all the timber from one strip and then allowing that strip 

 to be seeded from the neighboring standing timber. As soon as the young 

 crop is safely started, another strip can be cut, and so on across the woodlot. 

 The strips should run as nearly as possible at right angles to the direction 

 of the strongest winds, and should be not more than once to twice as wide 

 as the height of the neighboring timber. The first strip should be cut 



