THE ART OF THE SECOND GROWTH 



Unjust and lunvise it is if the commonweal, in non-stocklaw- 

 countries, permits of the unrestricted use of the woodlands for 

 pasturage by those who neither own them nor pay the taxes 

 thereon; and who do not have any interest in their perpetuation. 



Forest pasture in the Pine woods of the South and of the 

 Southwest, in the forests of the Rocky Mountains and of the 

 Cascades, is of utmost economic importance. 



Forest pasturage requires regulation in the following points: 

 Number of animals per acre; species of stock and of trees; season 

 of pasturage; remuneration; closed years; firing; responsibility; 

 supervision; salting; improvements; access. 



D. Forest fruit raising: 



I. Pecan. 



Large investments are being made in Pecan plantations in the 

 South. Usually seedlings three years old are planted fifty to 

 sixty feet apart. Payable crops are expected fifteen years after 

 planting. Cultivation and fertilization of Pecan orchards are re- 

 quired just as in apple orchards. 



II. Apple-trees planted on freshly cutover woodlands (North- 

 west slopes) are sfiid to be particularly promising. 



III. Chestnuts. Chestnuts are either obtained from the woods 

 where Chestnut trees are grown for timber, or from orchards. In 

 Pisgah Forest seed years are said to occur every seven years. The 

 nuts sell at fifty cents to one dollar per bushel. The mountaineers 

 burn the w^oods to more readily uncover the nuts. 



Orcharding combined with grafting of French Chestnuts (Cas- 

 tanea vesca) on the American species has been tried in Pennsylvania 

 with little success owing to forest fires. 



In Southern France a large revenue is obtained from the nuts 

 ($5 to $6 annually from a good tree). 



IV. Acorns. The acorns of the White Oaks are ground as a 

 substitute for coffee (Postum Cereal 80%). In addition acorns 

 are of high value for pannage and in game preserves. 



V. Berries. The crop of berries growing in the forest is locally 

 leased to the highest bidder. The huckleberry crop is improved 

 by periodical burning. 



VI. Nuts from Western Nut-Pines. 



E. Maple sugar: 



The production of sugar depends on the size and on the develop- 

 ment of the individual trees, influenced by careful thinning. An 

 underwood and a heavy layer of humus is helpful. Planted sugar 

 orchards are rare and suffer from sun scald and from hardening 

 soil. 195 



