1 903 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



189 



but it gives and adds beauty to the 

 home. If in the four southern counties 

 in Michigan, where a demand for tree 

 planting must be conceded, an average 

 of four acres to each farm were planted 

 in trees, the forest area would be ex- 

 tended by a half a million acres. 



Of even greater importance to Michi- 

 gan farmers at the present time than the 

 artificially established plantation is the 

 natural woodlot so prevalent throughout 

 the state. Often this lot is situated 

 about the farm buildings, but more fre- 

 quently it is to be found on some more 

 remote portion of the farm, and has 

 been left because the ground is wet, or 

 is rough and stony, or for some other 

 reason is not available for farming pur- 

 poses. The fact that this land is non- 

 agricultural is the very reason why it 

 should be kept in forest. As has been 

 pointed out, these lots have furnished 

 large quantities of valuable material, 

 and have otherwise been of great service 

 to the farms in the past ; but since their 

 area is constantly diminishing, and the 

 quantity of timber deteriorating, they 

 must be built up and improved or their 

 economic value will be lost. 



In this connection I wish to speak of 

 a system of woodlot management now 

 being conducted by Mr. S. W. Ruther- 

 ford at Laurelton, Union county, Penn- 

 sylvania. I refer to this example be- 

 cause it is one with which I chance to 

 be familiar, and for the reason that I 

 believe much that Mr. Rutherford is 

 doing to be capable of quite general ap- 

 plication. He has several farms, each 

 of which carries from 10 to 20 per cent 

 of its area in timber. The species rep- 

 resented are those common to Pennsyl- 

 vania, with White and Pitch Pine and 

 Chestnut predominating. Of course 

 these lots have all been cut over at least 

 once, some of them two or three times. 

 However, they are not pastured, are 

 protected from fire; hence reproduction 

 is quite fair, often fully adequate. But 



the young growth is irregularly dis- 

 tributed, being overcrowded in places, 

 and very sparse in others. 



Mr. Rutherford's plan of improving 

 these lots includes 



1 . The removal of all dead or dying, 

 crooked, diseased, and otherwise un- 

 likely trees, leaving only straight, sound 

 specimens of the more desirable species. 



2. The thinning out of thickets of 

 younger trees wherever they are so 

 crowded as to retard the growth of one 

 another. Often several sprouts have 

 sprung up from a single stump, as in 

 the case of Chestnut. All can not make 

 trees; hence all but two or three of the 

 larger and more likely sprouts are re- 

 moved. Again, where two trees are 

 growing side by side, so close as to 

 hinder the growth of each other, the 

 more inferior tree is cut down. 



3. Judicious trimming of the trees 

 left standing as far as practicable, so asto 

 insure straight, clear boles. The work 

 of making these improvement cuttings 

 is done as the farm help has the leisure, 

 and the material removed not only pays 

 for the labor involved, but in some in- 

 stances actually yields a net profit. 



4. The underplanting of all vacant 

 and thin spots with some valuable tree, 

 usually White Pine. For the most part, 

 Mr. Rutherford uses wild stock collected 

 from his own premises. Here and there 

 throughout his groves, in situations fa- 

 vorable to the germination of seed, are 

 thousands of seedlings, and the thin- 

 nings furnish the stock for underplant- 

 ing. This w r ork, too, can often be done 

 at odd times, when, on account of 

 weather conditions, little else is doing 

 on the farm, thus reducing the expense 

 of planting to a minimum. 



The result of such management is not 

 only a woodlot normally stocked with 

 species of the greatest usefulness and 

 that will bring maximum returns, but 

 the value of the entire farm has been 

 enhanced. 



