begun to shade the ground, other species come in. Pines, oaks, and 

 hemlocks belong to this second crop. Comparatively worthless 

 species may thus be taken advantage of to secure the establishment 

 of better ones. 



Improvement cuttings. As already hinted, cuttings are to be made 

 not with sole regard to the wants to be immediately supplied. 

 The trees selected for removal should be chosen largely with refer- 

 ence to the trees which remain. The stand of timber should be 

 kept fairly uniform, not so thick as to kill out good-sized trees, and 

 not so thin as to allow heavy side branches to grow. Where two 

 good trees are unduly crowding each other, one of them should be 

 removed. In deciding which tree shall go and which shall stay the 

 question is not so much which will make the best lumber now as 

 which will make the best growth in the next ten or twenty years. If 

 the future is kept thus consistently in mind it will seldom be neces- 

 sary to make any extensive " improvement cuttings " just for the 

 sake of helping the woodlot. Every tree taken out will represent an 

 improvement cutting. 



Plantings. The typical woodlot, and the sort by far the most 

 common in New England, consists of a natural forest. If it is 

 properly managed it will reproduce itself indefinitely. No tree 

 planting is necessary. In many places, however, even in Massa- 

 chusetts, tree-planting is necessary, practicable and profitable. Our 

 own woodlot contains both natural woods and planted areas. There 

 is one lot of planted white birch fifteen years old. See plate 12. 

 There is another area planted with Scotch pines and larch mixture 

 twenty-five years old. See plate 9. One of the best artificial 

 plantations is of pure larch twenty-four years old. Another smaller 

 plantation of larch is seventeen years old. These trees were set in 

 rows 4 feet apart, with trees about 2 feet apart in the rows. They 

 have done very well indeed and are already producing valuable tim- 

 ber. See plates 10 and u. It is entirely plain that forest planta- 

 tions of larch and pine can be successfully made on our soil. 



In conclusion we invite special attention to the photographs which 

 really show more of the actual forest conditions than can be told in 

 words. Each one is a lesson in itself. Yet, as for that, thoughtful 

 observation of growing forests anywhere will always bring impor- 

 tant facts to light ; and if this brief bulletin shall arouse the reader 

 to such interest and observation, its principal object shall have been 

 fully served. 



