RI'GULARITY IN WILD WOODS 1 29 



16. Where Regulation of the cut and orderly work begins in 

 wild woods the following is accomplished : 



a. Decay is replaced by harvest or cut of ripe timber, and decay 

 is therefore reduced to an insignificant amount, the unavoidable 

 defect. 



b. Natural Rotation is reduced by many years, and changed to 

 a business rotation. 



c. The amount of timber, the "Growing Stock" is usually re- 

 duced. In many cases this is not true, for the growing stock in 

 wild woods is not always large, due to defective and useless stuff 

 and unstocked ground. 



d. The condition of equilibrium where growth and decay bal- 

 unce changes to a condition of net growth. 



e. This net growth is improved by good silviculture which 

 eliminates weeds, and keeps all lands stocked with most productive 

 species. 



f. Fertility of the land is usually reduced, at least in time. In 

 the United States fires in the pineries and mountains have done this 

 to a serious degree. 



17. Natural Regularity in Wild Woods. In wild woods, too, 

 there is a certain degree of regularity, comparable to that sought by 

 the forester. This is greater in mixed hardwoods than in pure 

 conifers, as pointed out under "rotation", especially those of intoler- 

 ants like hard pine, Tamarack, etc. 



In mixed hardwoods in Southern iMichigan it is probable that 

 even on a single township of virgin forest the following conditions 

 were maintained : 



a. Rotation equal to average life of the trees of each species, 

 hence varies with composition and is never uniform for entire stand. 



b. Age classes generally well mixed on every forty ; all age 

 classes represented ; all-old and even-aged stands of any size the 

 exception. 



c. Growth only fairly good, and not good in keeping with the 

 excellent sites ; too much over-mature, crippled, defective, spread- 

 crown stuff; then also a great deal of poor stuff and brush, (Blue 

 Reech, ITornbeam. etc.) 



