FOREST PROBLEMS. 161 
they destroy all the young seedlings that start, and prevent any 
natural regeneration. In good seed vears it might pay to loosen 
the soil, where it could be done easily, in portions that are not 
especially liable to erosion, so as to give the seeds that fall a 
good chance to grow. It would also be well to gather Black 
Walnuts and Acorns, and plant them in especially favorable loca- 
tions. Improvement cuttings should also be made where needed. 
17. A. has five acres of overflow lands along the Mississippi 
river. This is about four feet above the low water mark. It is, 
however, so liable to freshets in the spring that it would not be 
safe to use it for agricultural purposes, and it is not desirable 
for pasture or meadow. It is now covered with a heavy growth 
of White Maple and Cottonwood, and some White and Red Elm. 
What is the best way of managing it? 
Answer: It would seem quite probable that the White Maple 
will become the most valuable wood of any now on the land, and 
it should be encouraged by cutting out the Cottonwood wherever 
it crowds, and also the White and Red Elm. The aim should be 
to have a good stand of White Maple, as it seems probable that 
this will produce by far the most profit. This tree makes a very 
rapid growth on good soil, and the wood is used for a variety 
of purposes. If the maples do not thickly cover the ground, 
there may be some chance for good pasturage under the trees; 
but under the best conditions there would be no opportunity for 
pasturage. This land would possibly yield about 500 feet board 
measure per acre per year if well stocked. Such land will proba- 
bly be used for meadow when the country is better settled, but 
this is perhaps no objection to using it for growing maple for the 
next twenty years. 
18. A. has a piece of gravelly land. It was originally covered 
with a growth of Bur, White, Red and Scarlet Oak, but was cut 
‘over about thirty years ago, and at present has a rather thin 
stand of stunted trees, many of which are sprouts from Bur 
Oaks. It is burned over every year. The land is of very little 
value for agricultural purposes. 
Answer: On such land the increase is very little, and there 
will be no profit in holding it for tree growth if it is taxed at a 
high rate. If, however, the rate of taxation is low, it is quite 
likely that the trees will yield a fairly good return. It should be 
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