220 



WE6T VIRGINIA EXPERIMENT STATION. 



The future condition of areas thus cut and burned over 

 varies with the quality and condition of the land, and the fre- 

 quency or non -occurrence of fires. In some sections where 

 large areas present simply a mass of broken stones, no vegeta- 

 tion, except possibly a few strangling fire weeds and brambles, 

 or a scrubby growth of fire cherry 1 can survive. In other sec- 

 tions where more soil is mixed with the stones, and the land is 

 undulating or level, fire or other weeds will spring up the same, 

 or the following year, after the land has been burned over. 

 These are succeeded by the growth of thornless blackberries, 

 fire cherry, birch, etc., with possibly a few spruce and hemlock. 

 If such places are protected from fire, the worthless fire cherry 

 usually takes possession of the entire surface and crowds out 

 everything else. Where the soil is of a better quality a growth 

 of spruce, birch, hemlock and sugar maple will follow the weeds 

 and briars, and if protected from fire may produce a second 

 growth of valuable spruce and other timber. In sections 

 where the land is of good quality and well drained, and has 

 been burned over a few times, a luxuriant growth of blue grass 

 ,will spring up and take possesion of the land, especially if 

 stock is allowed to run over it. In other wet and poorer 

 sections the land will be covered by a dense growth of large 

 ferns. 



Therefore, under existing conditions there appears to be 

 poor prospects of these worked and burned over areas ever pro- 

 ducing, naturally, a profitable growth of timber. Witli a little 

 care and systematic management, however, much of the land 

 which is absolutely worthless for anything else of value, could 

 be made to produce a dense growth of spruce ( Fig. X V I), and 

 other timber, which would, within 25 or 30 years, begin to yield 

 profitable returns in pulp wood, and in 50 to 100 years it could 

 all be cut for pulp and lumber. 



The typical spruce or pine forests in the southern, eastern 

 and southeastern portions of Randolph, and in 1'ocahontas, 

 Webster, and Greenbrier counties, are in fairly healthy con- 



[ l Prunuft Penruylvanica If. 



