10 



FARMERS' MONTHLY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



GIVE PINES A CHANCE 



Cutting of Birch and Hardwood 

 Sprouts Pays 



A new business requires considerable 

 capital for initial investment. So it is in 

 the case of establishing a forest by direct 

 planting. For that reason many land 

 owners shy off when approached on the 

 subject of reforestation. But if they 

 only knew how much potential forest they 

 may have already established on their 

 farms they would look at the proposition 

 in a different light. 



There are many hundreds of acres in 

 Massachusetts with a good stand of soft 

 wood reproduction on them. This repro- 

 duction, if properly cared for, will re- 

 turn many dollars to the owner's purse 

 in later years. But at present the young 

 trees are either totally shaded out, or are 

 hampered materially by the overtopping 

 hardwood sprouts. Acres of forest land 

 are clear cut for cordwood of the stand 

 of saw timber has been harvested. Na- 

 ture, through her extreme generosity, has 

 seeded these areas for a new crop. The 

 owners, either through rush of other 

 work, or because of negligence, have al- 

 lowed these cutover areas to take care of 

 themselves. This method may have an- 

 swered in years past, but in this present 

 age, when every acre should be worked 

 effectively, the owner cannot afford to use 

 this slipshod manner of doing business. 

 His property is taxed to the limit in 

 many cases, and if he does not produce a 

 merchantable crop on every acre, he is 

 sure to go behind before long. So it is 

 up to him to change his ways. 



Liberation cutting or release work can 

 be accomplished by the owner at odd 

 times when other work is not pressing or 

 he can spend a day or two at a time and 

 go over his woodland. All that has to be 

 cut are the hardwoods that are interfer- 

 ing with the leader of the preferred tree. 

 Many instances have been observed where 

 the cutting has been down to the ground. 

 I do not recommend this except when the 

 trees taken out are cordwood size. The 

 reason for this is that for each stump 

 left there are a number of sprouts and 

 before the trees have had a chance to take 

 advantage of the opening formed, they 

 are covered up again by new brush. 

 Another reason for not cutting- to the 

 ground is that the energy in the soil 

 needed for the growth of the softwoods is 

 used up by the new hardwood sprouts, 

 . consequently, the young trees do not shoot 

 ahead any faster. The best way to ac- 

 complish liberation cutting with any de- 

 gree of success, is to lop the hardwood 

 tops at a height that is convenient to the 

 operator. The hardwoods then die, no 

 new shoots are formed and the energy 

 required by the growing trees is at once 

 applied to the roots of the pines. 



Grey birch and other hardwood sprouts 

 act as a nurse tree to young pine for the 



first four or five years, but after that 

 they become a menace ratlier than a help. 

 Release cutting can be accomplished at 

 an expense averaging $2.50 per acre. 

 Some acres will need less than others and 

 the expen.se may be as low as $.50 per 

 acre. Planting costs average $20.00 per 

 acre for trees and labor, thus making a 

 larger initial expenditure. Since nature 

 has so generously aided mankind with her 

 seeding, it is better to use the ax and al- 

 low the young forest a chance to push 

 ahead and overcome the undesirable hard- 

 woods. 



Many inquiries are made as to the 

 advisability of clear bz'ushing a lot be- 

 fore planting. The answer to that is, 

 plant under the brush and in the open 

 places and later perform liberation cutt- 

 ing. If clear brushing is performed be- 

 fore planting, the hardwood brush grows 

 faster than the young pine and soon the 

 area is as bad or even worse than be- 

 fore cutting and the work of clear brush- 

 is far more expensive. Liberation cut- 

 tings even if they must be repeated one 

 or more times are far less costly. 

 R. B. Parmenter, Extension Forester. 



BETTER PINE LUMBER 



The average pine lot today is close 

 grown and the lower branches are dead 

 but still hanging. As long as these 

 branches remain on the trunk, the lumber 

 is bound to be full of knots, as they ex- 

 tend from the heart of the tree to the sur- 

 face in every case. If they are pruned 

 off with a saw or knocked off with the 

 ax, the new wood that is put on each year 

 will be clear. Most of them are dry 

 enough to be broken off with the head of 

 the ax, but as soon as they do not suc- 

 cumb to this treatment, it is time to use 

 a saw on the end of a pole, and cut them 

 off as high up as they are dead. By this 

 means, you will have a sixteen or eighteen 

 foot butt log that is entirely clear. 

 Everyone knows that clear logs are in 

 demand, while knotty logs are almost a 

 drug on the market. It is necessary to 

 start this pruning when the trees are 

 four inches in diameter, or as soon as the 

 lower branches show signs of dying. 

 This treatment can be afforded the trees 

 when other work is not pressing and can 

 be done very inexpensively. 



Mrs. Taylor reported that the Trustees 

 of the Granby library voted to buy all the 

 books which were recommended and Mrs. 

 Clark of Southampton who happens to be 

 librarian as well as a nutrition leader has 

 stai'ted some of the books in circulation 

 and the Trustees voted to buy those which 

 they did not have. 



The following is the list of books 

 i-ecommended. If your library has them 

 it will be worth while to make use of 

 them. 



Spending the Family Income. S. Agnes 

 Donham. 



Miss S. Agnes Donham until this year 

 as the Budget Advisor with the Society 

 of Promotion for Savings, Shawmont 

 Bank, Boston, now acting head of the 

 Garland School of Homemaking. This 

 book has very practical discussions on 

 standards for saving, for preparing 

 food, clothing development, etc. It in- 

 cludes an excellent chapter on the Bud- 

 get for the Family. 



READ GOOD BOOKS 



Library Trustees Vote to Buy Books 

 Recommended by Nutrition Leaders 



One way to know more about a subject 

 is to read the good books which have been 

 written on it. A list of books which will 

 be interesting to every homemaker who is 

 anxious to feed her family correctly was 

 given to the nutrition leaders. 



Mrs. Barney found the library in 

 South Hadley had most of the books and 

 some new ones not included in the list. 



Buy your Agricultural Lime 



on the 



basis of Available Ca O 



CHESHIRE 

 AGRICULTURAL LIME 



High percentage of Ca O 



DRY GROUND SCREENED 



Cheshire Lime Mfg. Co. 



CHESHIRE 



MASSACHUSETTS 



RAISE HEALTHY CHICKS! 



CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE 

 is valuable for 

 Disinfecting Brooder Houses and Yards ; 5 

 We carry it in powdered form 'i\ 



Put up in the size package you need ^ 

 It is cheaper by the pound 



WISWELL THE DRUGGIST 



52 Main Street 



Northampton, ... Mass. 



