BORDER CUTTINGS A SUGGESTED DEPARTURE IN 

 AMERICAN SILVICULTURE 



BY A. B. EECKNAGEL 

 (Contributed) 



American forestry is frankly dependent on natural regeneration ex- 

 cept in emergencies. To secure this we have, almost universally, adopted 

 a selection system of cutting, which, starting with a crude diameter 

 limit method, has evolved into a shelterwood selection method, some- 

 what along the lines of Gayer*s "Femelschlagf orm." This method aims, 

 briefly, to cut over an area now, leaving about one-third of the mer- 

 chantable stand for purposes of regenerating the area naturally and to 

 form the basis of a second cut in about 30 to 50 years. It is nearly five 

 years since this method was inaugurated in the National Forests, and as 

 yet the results have not been reassuring. Of course, no method of 

 natural regeneration expects to secure a complete restocking of the area ; 

 there are always some fail places which must be restocked artificially. 



But admitting that a satisfactory regeneration is secured in the 30 to 

 50 years following the cutting, what happens in the meanwhile? The 

 area, with about one-third of the merchantable stand still on it, is sub- 

 jected to all the injurious effects of drouth, insolation, and storm, as well 

 as of snow, frost, fire, fungi, weeds, and insects. The larger the cutting 

 area the more these will make themselves felt. The one-third of the 

 stand left is not sufficient to prevent a strong drying-out of the soil by 

 sun and wind; much of the precipitation is caught by the trees left 

 standing, and thus does not reach the ground, while in times of drouth 

 the larger trees rob the reproduction (seedlings) of much of the ground 

 moisture which is the latter's due.* Similarly, windfall is increased, 

 and the growth of weeds and sod fostered to the detriment of any tree 

 seed which may try to germinate thereon. Snow break and frost damage 

 is accentuated, as is also the danger of insect and fungus attacks. 

 -Finally, the danger of disastrous fires is multiplied, not only because of 

 the unavoidable debris left after logging, but because of the large con- 



* An excellent instance of this is found near Eberswalde, Germany, where 

 three and four year old plantations under shelter of mature trees suffered 

 more from the great drouth of 1911 than did similar plantations standing in 

 the open. 



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