76 PRACTICAL FORESTRY. 



will, of course, be no thinnings of hard woods at this 

 early period. 



The operation of thinning will be much advanced 

 by keeping the lower branches broken off from time 

 to time as they die. If this is not done during growth, 

 it should always be done before commencing the 

 actual work of thinning, as the men are then able to 

 work freely, and the forester can see what he is doing 

 when marking. With regard to marking, it is almost 

 impossible in the first stage to carry it out. The 

 woodman in charge must exercise his discretion as the 

 work proceeds ; later, however, when the trees have 

 assumed greater proportions, the forester should care- 

 fully mark each tree which he wishes removed. The 

 cost of thinning may be stated as follows : When 

 4 inches in diameter, Jd. each tree ; when from 8 

 inches to 9 inches, i|d. each. At such task-work as 

 this good men will earn 45. a day. This sum includes 

 cutting, stripping, and carrying out. 



It will be necessary to continue this process of 

 thinning from time to time until the plantation has 

 reached the age of 50 or 60 years. By such time, 

 whether the trees are conifers or hard woods, the 

 ground will be capable of bearing them and carrying 

 them forward to maturity. What number of trees an 

 acre of ground will eventually carry depends upon 

 circumstances, but from 40 to 80 may perhaps fairly 

 represent the number of hard woods, and 200 to 300 

 pines and firs. 



If thinning has been wisely and judiciously carried 

 out from the earliest stages, the trees will at this 

 period be rapidly laying on timber ; and from this 



