262 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NEW JERSEY. 
Almost every farm has its pine forest. "These, of course, are 
of all sizes and ages, varying from fields as thick and dense as 
grain to forests fit for large-size timber. There are few signs of 
forest fires. 
The soil is light and sandy, dune-like in nature, along the 
shore, to which the pines grow close, although a few have been 
killed here and there by shifting sand. The natives recognize 
the value of the forest in holding the soil in place, and in pro- 
tecting their truck-patches from the force of the wind, which 
would naturally at times sweep over this narrow peninsula. 
On entering one of these forests, one observes at once that 
although there are many small trees of holly, and bushes of 
sweet-gale, the ground is free from litter and brush. If one 
happens to visit the region at the proper season he will see men 
and women raking up the forest litter. Very early in the spring 
or late in winter one can see field after field covered with pine- 
chats, to be plowed under just as soon as the weather permits. 
In fact, the fields are laid out in squares, by means of the plow, 
in order that the pine-chats may be easily measured and thus 
evenly distributed. Just as soon as a field becomes worn out it 
is abandoned; the adjoining woods furnish the seed, the wind 
sows it, and soon a fresh growth of pines appears. Here and 
there throughout the forests there are avenues, which, although 
constructed to facilitate the collection of pine-chats, serve at the 
saine time the purpose of fire-lanes. 
Because of the value of the pine-chats the forest floor is free 
from inflammable materials just at a time when fires are most 
likely to occur. The removal of this debris is contrary to the 
principles of German forest management, because it naturally 
impoverishes the forest soil. In the course of time, however, 
many of these potato-fields are allowed to come up in pines, and 
fresh fields are cleared when the pines have been cut.* 
* Unlike other crops, the forest constantly improves the soil, provided the litter is not removed or 
allowed to burn, The roots of trees penetrate to its deeper layers, and absorb large quantities of mineral 
matters, A large percentage of this material goes to the leaves, and is deposited on the surf: The 
surface soil is both enriched by these mi J} sub and p d by a mulch of humus in varying 
stages of decomposition, As the lower layers rot, new layers of leaves and twigs are being constantly 
deposited, so that the forest soil, in the course of time, fairly reeks with nourishing plant-food. It has 
been shown, without doubt, that the removal of litter from poor soils is ruinous, It is like stealing food 
from a starving man. The removal of forest litter from rich soils is indeed, however, a very small matter, 
and it is doubtful if it really does very serious injury. 
