FORESTRY COMMISSION. 53 



fuel, and the ground should he cleared of such inferior material to make way for 

 ■better stock. 



Thinnings. — After the improvement cuttings have been completed, say In 10 

 years, there will be many of the younger groups or portions of the stand that 

 would be greatly helped by a thinning. In these thinnings, all dead and dying 

 trees should be cut, and such of the remainder as are of inferior form or 

 species and are injuring the crowns of better trees either by shading or by 

 contact during wind storms. The openings in the crown cover caused by the 

 removal of such trees should as a rule not be greater than may be reasonably 

 expected to close again by growth in five to seven years. By closing is meant 

 the coming together of the tips of the branches of the trees. 



Planting. — There are many open places in the stand, and with the removal of the 

 ■over-mature trees there will be many more where the natural reproduction has 

 been and will be less satisfactory than is desirable. As • Mr. Major wishes to 

 produce fence posts, and has an excellent market for pulpwood, it is recom- 

 mended that in the higher and dryer portions these open places be planted to 

 iDlack locust, and that the lower and moister situations be set out to Cottonwood. 

 The black locust should be set out as one-year-old plants and spaced 5x5 or at most 

 6x6 feet where it is entirely open and should be placed between the scattering 

 bunches of oak coppice where such occur. The cottonwood can best be planted 

 by the use of cuttings. Bight or ten-inch pieces of the one and two-year wood 

 of the branches, pointed at the lower end and inserted In the soil will be entirely 

 satisfactory. They should be placed in a sloping position, with one or two buds 

 above the surface, at the distances above indicated for the black locust. These 

 cuttings should be prepared during the dormant season, and kept in moist sand 

 until needed. 



A number of poplar occur throughout the stand, and there are two small areas 

 where they form practically pure stands. The scattering poplar, which are now 

 of very satisfactory size for pulp, may be utilized for that purpose within the 

 next five or at most 10 years, greatly to the advantage of the other growth over 

 which they stand. They are now of very satisfactory size for pulp and will in 

 a few years be past their prime. The poplar groups are about 18 years old, six 

 inches in diameter, and average fully 55 feet high. They are very thrifty, and 

 may be retained to advantage 10 or 15 years before cutting. 



2. The 1S77 Burn. 



All young trees on a small area towards the north end were destroyed and 

 most of the larger trees scarred badly by fire in 1877. The best of the larger trees 

 have since been cut, and the remainder should be cut at an early day. The area 

 could then be planted to locust or white pine. Tall-growing weeds being absent, 

 two-year-old untransplanted pine stock will be satisfactory if about 15 inches 

 square of the sod be removed in each place before planting the pines. This sod 

 should be placed around the pines in an inverted position after setting, for mulch 

 purposes. The pines should be spaced five feet apart, each way. 



3. Old oak stand. 



This stand at the north end of the woodlot has been much less severely cut 

 than the remainder of the area. The stand consists of red, black, and white oaks, 

 with some mockernut hickory. Diameters up to 30 inches, and heights up to 70 

 feet occur. The quality is poor, the better trees having been removed some years 

 ago. What reproduction formerly existed was largely killed by the fire in 1877 

 which ran over most of the area, but was not sufficiently severe in this part to 

 scar the older trees. Grazing has prevented any reproduction in recent years. 

 The ground is closely grassed over. 



Treatment. — This stand is mature, and should be removed during the next ten 

 years. The first consideration is to get a reproduction of good trees to form the 

 basis of the future stand. Grazing must be discontinued, and weed trees whose 

 seed is not desired should be removed at once. 



In view of the heavy sod and the open condition of the stand it is recommended 

 that the sod be broken before the fall of the nuts and acorns, by rough cultiva- 

 tion with a disk harrow. This should be followed after the fall of the seeds by 

 dragging over with a light harrow. This will plant at a trifling expense many 

 thousands of acorns and nuts per acre, and will insure a fine reproduction. 



In order to admit light for the development of the new crop, a heavy thinning 

 should be made the following winter, in which all of the most inferior trees 



