MASS A CHUSETTS WO OD LANDS. 



the better hard woods; and there is no call to favor hemlock, 

 because it is very "tolerant." 



After the trees have been classified and the order of preference 

 by species determined upon, a third consideration must enter into 

 our calculations. Defects, such as decayed trunks, fire scars or 

 extreme crooks, are a sufficient reason for the removal of a tree; so 

 that it is not impossible to have a woodlot in which the dominant 

 trees, being in poor condition or of a valueless species, would be 

 removed. Such a cutting could, however, scarcely be called a thin- 

 ning, but would rather partake of the nature of an improvement 

 cutting. 



One can readily understand that the man who is put in charge 

 of a thinning operation must have sound judgment, and be well 

 instructed in the principles of the work. Where possible, it is well 

 to have a trained forester mark the trees to be cut. It is better 

 to be conservative rather than radical in the selecting of the trees to 

 be removed, as a thinning which is too light can be easily remedied, 

 but one which is too heavy will take years to mend. A mere clean- 

 ing up of the underbrush and a few suppressed trees is not a thin- 

 ning, however. 



In practice it is customary to blaze the trees to be cut, and often? 

 they are blazed twice, once about 4 feet from the ground, and once- 

 low down on the stump. Unless one has great confidence in his 

 man, it is not wise to let the chopping out at so much a cord,, 

 because as a rule in a thinning operation we take only the smaller 

 and poorer trees, so that the chopper is under a great temptation 

 to increase his pile by taking some of those intended to be left, 

 and it is difficult to detect the fraud. 



EXPLANATION OF DIAGRAMS. 



"We have endeavored to represent in Diagram No. 1 a section of 

 a typical sprout chestnut stand, 50 feet in length and 20 feet in 

 width. The trees of the dominant class are marked A; the inter- 

 mediate class, B; and the suppressed trees, D. The small maples, 

 although apparently suppressed, are not so ; but, being very tolerant 

 of shade, they have come up under the shadow of the chestnuts, 

 and form a sort of second cover. The trees removed in thinning 

 include five suppressed, two intermediate and one dominant. The 

 dominant chestnut was removed primarily because of its poor, 

 crooked bole, and secondarily because there was a good red oak 

 and a chestnut ready to grow into the vacated space. The maples 



