MARYLAND WEATHER SERVICE oGD 



portation on the south, invited early exploitation. At first the more 

 valuable woods, like black walnut, yellow poplar, cherry and the 

 choicest oaks were cut. Then the forest was culled again for the 

 best of the remaining saw timber. Another visitation removed the 

 railroad ties, telegraph and telephone poles, and now the inferior 

 grades, that heretofore could not be cut profitably, are finding a ready 

 market. The scrub pine and red gum, two species formerly of no 

 value, are now eagerly sought, the first for pulp wood and the sec- 

 ond for the cutting of veneer. Portable mills are in operation every- 

 where. 



Forest Products. — The principal products are lumber (of which a 

 considerable portion is used locally), and for which nearly all species 

 are cut, but more especially, the oaks, pines and poplars; railroad 

 ties are of oak and chestnut ; pulpwood, of scrub pine, poplar and 

 red gum ; telegraph and telephone poles almost exclusively of chest- 

 nut ; piles for which a variety of oaks and pine are used ; and veneer 

 made principally from red gum but also from poplar. 



The forests of Southern Maryland have been one of her main 

 sources of wealth for many years, and will always be one of the most 

 important assets. Excessive cutting, particularly the close cutting 

 of the valuable species, has seriously impaired the productiveness 

 of the woodlands, so that the present forests are totally unlike the 

 original ones, or indeed those that can be made to grow under judi- 

 cious treatment. The favorable conditions are good climate and soil, 

 cheap land (making it possible to grow timber at a good profit), val- 

 uable native species, reasonably good forest fire protection, and ease 

 of getting out forest produce. 



The restoration of the forests to their maximum of production 

 must proceed along three main lines. (1) Improvement cuttings, 

 which have for their object the removal of inferior species and de- 

 fective trees of all classes to make room for a more valuable growth. 

 (2) Reproduction cuttings in old stands where there is insufficient 

 young growth. This could be accomplished by thinnings in the stand 

 to let in light and to favor seed production and seed germination ; 

 then as seeding is accomplished the parent trees may be removed 

 1c give the young seedlings full opportunity for their best develop- 



