18 IMPORTANT TIMBER TREES 



ings. In either event worthless species would be almost 

 certain to spring up and the whole character of the forest 

 liable to become changed. The second-growth forests of 

 the country attest that fact. It is seldom that a cut-over 

 forest consists of the original species. This may occur, 

 however, where, as in some sections, such trees as Redwood, 

 Chestnut, and some of the Oaks throw up sprouts from 

 roots and stumps. A Chestnut forest can be depended upon 

 to reproduce itself naturally with a good deal of certainty, 

 but in a few generations of sprouts the root system becomes 

 so weakened by cutting that seed-grown trees must be sub- 

 stituted. Moreover, sprout trees seldom attain a large size 

 if allowed to grow. The decay which takes place in the 

 stump affects their vitality. 



There is another important feature which should be con- 

 sidered when deciding upon the method of perpetuating a 

 forest ; and that is its productive capacity. The appended 

 table 1 shows the net annual revenue that is derived from 

 nearly all European forests, and also from those of the United 

 States, the revenue being necessarily based upon the yield. 

 The first eight countries named follow artificial methods of 

 reproduction to a greater or less degree. The first four 

 Wiirttemberg, Saxony, Baden, and Hesse carry it on 

 intensively, while the remainder of the list shows the rela- 

 tive care, or, rather, lack of care, given to their forests by 

 man, our own country showing a deplorable negligence. 

 From this it will be seen that natural regeneration re- 

 quires a much larger area to be devoted to tree-growing 

 than would be necessary to produce the requisite amount 

 of lumber if artificial reproduction should be depended upon. 

 Had we, fifty or sixty years ago, set aside as much forest 

 area as could have been spared, and treated the whole in a 

 conservative manner, conditions would be far different 

 from what they are now. 



1 The annual yield of our forests is far less than those of Europe where 

 they are maintained through artificial methods. There the average yield is 

 forty cubic feet per acre ; ours does not exceed twelve feet. Some Prussian 



