TOP-LOPPING IN THE ADIRONDACKS 71 



In the 3 -year-old cutting of the Santa Clara Lumber Company, 

 the piles of lopped tops have already settled materially toward the 

 grotmd, while the tinlopped tops are standing off the grotmd, supported 

 by the branches, without any appearance of material change since the 

 time of cutting. 



On the 2 1 -year-old cutting area of the Santa Clara Ltunber Com- 

 pany the tops were not lopped. The operation was for lumber only, 

 and little cutting was done below a top diameter limit of 8 or lo inches. 

 Many of these unlopped tops are still standing in the air supported by 

 the branches. On the other hand some have settled to the ground, 

 while imdoubtedly others have entirely disappeared. The tops lying 

 on the ground still have, as a rule, their upper and side branches in a 

 fairly soimd condition. The slow process of decay leaves a soft inzzy 

 coating on the outside of each branch standing in the air which woiild 

 enable a fire to cover the whole surface of the limbs. 



Similar conditions were observed, and similar conclusions were 

 drawn, from the other tracts visited, as follows : 



Taggart Paper Co.'s tract, near Otter Lake ; cuttings of various 

 years between 1905 and 1910 : 



Whitney Preserve, 9 year-old lopping and recent lopping ; also 

 resultsof fireof May 20, 1911, in lopping of 1909, and of fire in same year 

 in unlopped cutting of 1907 ; 



P. X. Blake tract, near Joe Indian Pond, lopping of 19 11 ; also 

 unlopped cutting of 1905 on adjoining land ; 



Recent loppings on Brandreth Preserve and tract of Santa Clara 

 Ltunber Company, not specifically noted above. 



Conclusions. — Conditions vary so widely, as already indicated, that 

 it is somewhat unsafe to make any definite statement as to the rapidity 

 with which lopped and unlopped tops will decay. In a general way, 

 however, it may be stated, that, in the spruce region of the Adirondacks, 

 tops properly lopped and on the ground will practically disappear by 

 decay in from 6 to 12 years, while unlopped tops require from 12 to 30 

 years. The conditions which influence this process have been quite fuUy 

 discussed above. Under similar conditions, unlopped tops will require 

 not less than twice as much time to decay as lopped tops, and it is 

 probable that the ratio is more nearly three to one, assuming a reasonable 

 degree of efficiency in getting the lopped material on the ground. For a 

 rough average, in the Adirondacks it may be estimated that decay of 

 lopped tops on a pulp operation will be practically complete in 7 years 

 and the period of most extreme fire danger will be over in three years, 

 due to the earlier disappearance of the leaves and fine branches and 



