54 STATE OP MICHIGAN. 



should be taken. This thinning should remove about one-third of the stand. As 

 soon as the young growth is thoroughly established in satisfactory density the 

 old stand may be entirely harvested. The very few trees of good form which are 

 in the present stand may be retained to continue their growth with the new 

 stand, but this is not especially recommended since they are few in number and 

 would be liable to die at the tops as a result of their standing so open as to 

 favor the development of "water-sprouts." 



Protection. 



Felling. — Care should in all cases be exercised to avoid as much as possible 

 injury to valuable young growth by the felling of the old trees. Stumps should be 

 cut as low as practicable, and with the saw. There should be no "brushing out" 

 of the young growth. 



Disposal of debris. — As much as practicable of the branches and tops should be 

 utilized for firewood. The remaining debris should either be piled and burned 

 in the open places during a time when the fire will not endanger the woods by 

 running; or be scattered and made to lie as close to the ground as practicable 

 in order to hasten decay, and thereby lessen the danger from fire and Interference 

 with young growth. 



Grazing. — The importance of the exclusion of all live stock has already been 

 fully discussed. 



Fire. — The keeping of the woodlot free from dangerous debris is the only meas- 

 ure, other than care in the handling of fire within or near the woodlot, that is 

 considered necessary for the protection of the woodlot from fire. The fact that 

 but one fire of any importance has occurred on the area since the settlement of 

 the country indicates that danger from this source is not great. 



Windbrealc. — It is recommended that a row of Norway spruce be planted along 

 the western side of this woodlot wherever the stand is sufiiciently open to admit 

 of their growth. Such a row of spruce will be of great value in the future In 

 shutting out the wind from the stand. The trees may be planted six or eight feet 

 apart and if good stock be used a single row will be sufiicient. 



Xo treatment of woodlots is more commonly practiced tliau the removal 

 of the v.ilnable trees and the leavin^r of the inferior in fnll possession of 

 the soil, and this notwithstanding- the fact that it must appear evident 

 to every thoughtful person that such practice must inevitably lead ulti- 

 mately to the total exclusion of the more valuable trees, and consequently 

 to a marked lowering of the value of the yearly product of the woodlot. 



In tlie report quoted, the subject of thinnings is also touched upon. It 

 might be of interest here to enlarge upon this topic which is so important 

 in the management of young stands. 



All stands grown under proper conditions of density in their early years 

 re(]uire to be thinned later by the removal of a numiaer of the trees'pres- 

 ent, that the remaining trees may be given sufficient room in which to 

 develop. A density of at least 1,500 trees per aere is desirable during the 

 early years in stands of any species, and a much larger number may be 

 present with advantage. It is, of course, impossible that anv such num- 

 ber can remain on the ground till maturity, and, if untouched by man, a 

 natural thinning will take place, by means of which the original number is 

 gradually reduced through the death of the trees which are overtopped by 

 those making a more rapid growth. 



A thinning by the hand of man may have several great advantages over 

 an unaided thinning by nature. The chief of these are: 



First. Control of the species in the stand. 



It often happens. that trees of less valuable species overtop and shade to 

 death trees of the more valuable species in the natural forest. The re- 



