NATURAL PASTURES 35 



Figure 2 represents a cultivated field which could be greatly 

 assisted by transplanting into the open spaces wherever young 

 seedlings are not already established. It so happens that the 

 field here represented is largely stocked with natural pine seed- 

 ing that has blown in from pine growth found on the right and 

 but little shown in the photograph. From this discussion it is- 

 seen that there are various ways of handling this subject, but 

 as conditions differ in every case each person must use his best 

 judgment in solving the problem. When fields are more or less- 

 isolated it may take many years to get a very indifferent start by 

 nature's methods, while all this time will be saved if we estab- 

 lish the crop at once. 



2. Natural Pastures. 



Under this head is classified those lands or fields that were 

 of a luxuriant forest growth originally but too rocky and stony 

 or hilly for agriculture, and, therefore, when the timber was- 

 cut oft', were used for pasturing animals. Lands that dry out 

 easily and that are deprived of the vegetation which is so- 

 closely cropped by usually too many animals for the area, tell 

 the story. One of these natural pastures is shown in figure 3- 

 This field is perhaps somewhat advanced in vegetation, as the 

 surface growth is well established. The ledge outcrops in 

 many places and stones are abundant. There are many fields- 

 of this kind in New England. To return them to forest con- 

 ditions is no small task. Wherever soil is found or there are 

 patches here and there, the same principles will apply as indi- 

 cated under the preceding heading. This will assist in getting" 

 a foothold or basis of operation. When these fields have 

 advanced to the stage shown in the photograph the hardest 

 task has been accomplished, and that is to get vegetation 

 enough to hold moisture. Most of this land is well adapted 

 to white pine growth when once established. Cedars also do 

 well here. The New Hampshire College forest, in which we 

 take so much pride, is growing on just such land as this. 

 Such land is adapted for no other uses than forestry. Wherever 

 forests now stand under these conditions precautions should be 

 taken to see that a second crop is coming on before all of the 

 present one is harvested. 



