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 

 same 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 bum. The roots of trees penetrate to its deeper layers, and absotb large quantities of mineral 

 matters. A large percentage of this material goes to the leaves, and is deposited on the surface. The 

 surface soil is both enriched by these mineral substances and protected 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. 



