636 Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 34, No. 7 
situated in the same locality, but in a 25-year-old stand. The first 
important cutting on either of these plots was made in 1924. It 
consisted of a chestnut salvage cutting combined with a light improve- 
ment cutting applied to the remaining stand, which ran heavily to 
oak. The main objects of the improvement cutting were to leave 
the area in the best possible condition and to favor red oak, chestnut 
oak, white ash, and hickory, and at the same time to keep down the 
proportion of red maple and other less desirable species. 
At the time these plots were established the respective percentages 
of chestnut in the stand on the basis of basal area were as follows: 
900 
of] 
800 Ke) 
. on | 
Be 
a are 
§ 700 eo" 
x td | 
N Py Lp 
« 600 i 
% 7 | pa Letor 3 
ry Peat | 
N 500 [~4 
y —— 
aN 
N 
t 400 
9 aS 
cS 1s 
Wj 300 =e 
Q xo 
= p— p2Lor a, i 
ae es oo a cS 
= 200 a li aN —— 
amen ie ees On | Ba a ia ate ot rc aD 
PL > aa ae 
a seg KY. 
100 a oe 
e} 
1906 1910 1915 1920 1924 
Fic. 4.—Progressive change in number of live trees per acre (1906-1924), due mainly to heavy 
mortality in chestnut between 1911 and 1916 
Plot 321, 50; plot 323, 32.7; plot 474, 71.2; plot 475, 66.6; plot 2, 42.7; 
and plot 4, 44.2. At the last examination of these plots (in 1924) all 
essential details, such as species, size, and position of each tree in the 
forest canopy, were again recorded. After computing the detailed 
results of each successive examination it was possible to trace the 
history of the various changes taking place in the forest during the 
last 13 to 18 years. For each plot the progressive changes in total 
number per acre of live trees of all species 1 inch or more in diameter 
is shown in Figure 4. The change in basal area per acre of all live 
trees is shown in Figure 5. 
Figure 5 shows the material decrease in basal area occurring between 
1911 and 1915, when the chestnut dropped out of most of the stands. 
It must, however, be recalled that the improvement cuttings which 
