REPORT ON FORESTS. 229 



the long run, under normal conditions, both thrive. Both have 

 their hard times and seasons of distress, and when one is up the 

 other is down ; but both maintain themselves. The object of the 

 forester is to give his trees a little the advantage, to enable even 

 the one low in vitality to make good its position, and to keep the 

 wood product at the best and highest market value. To go into 

 details is obviously impossible here, but some few suggestions 

 can be given that will be useful where any attention at all is 

 paid to woodland. 



The first and most important feature is what corresponds to 

 clean culture in the orchard and field ; i. e., the removal of all 

 undergrowth and other material that would in any way interfere 

 with the growth of the trees. This is often a matter of consid- 

 erable importance where the soil is poor and the trees need all 

 the advantage that they can get in the way of securing nourish- 

 ment. It gives a better, healthier growth, offering no encourage- 

 ment to insect attack, while the removal of the undergrowth 

 deprives many forms of a shelter from which they await their 

 chance to get at the trees. 



It has a further direct advantage in that it removes altogether 

 certain forms that attack the forest trees in one stage only. 

 Thus a species of Ptinid beetle lives in the larval state in the 

 roots of green or cat brier or in dead grape, the adults boring 

 into the twigs of trees to obtain food and for shelter. The 

 destruction of these briers removes one source of injury. 



Freedom from undergrowth . will facilitate other operations, 

 in case of any unusual insect attack on the foliage. Complete 

 defoliation by insects should be prevented at any reasonable 

 cost, and it is rarely indeed that in our latitude this is threatened. 

 Complete defoliation at any time means almost certain death to 

 conifers ; deciduous trees are not much injured by it, provided 

 the terminal buds are not destroyed. They may be somewhat 

 checked in growth and may in case of a drought ripen up pre- 

 maturely, and have but a weakly growth the year following ; 

 but under ordinary circumstances, if defoliation takes place 

 before midsummer, a new crop of leaves is produced in a short 

 time. 



Under the same general head of clean culture comes also the 

 removal of dead and dying trees, and this is another very import- 



