MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 309 



removes all material an inch or more in diameter as shown in figure 

 24. The kilns are built on the tract, and during the process 

 of burning, or soon after, fire catches in the dry tops and 

 refuse left on the ground and spreads over the cutting. If condi- 

 tions are favorable, fire often spreads to the surrounding woods. 

 Few of the cut-over areas escape fire, and many are repeatedly 

 burned. The sprouting stumps are either killed or injured, and the 

 resulting stand is very open. Many inferior species are thus allowed 

 to come in, noticeably Mountain Laurel and Scrub Pine, neither of 

 which makes good charcoal. 



The Barrens are capable of producing 25 cords per acre. Where 

 good stands of Oak and Chestnut are found that much is cut. The 

 present average production is seven cords, or less than one-third of 

 what it should produce. This is the result of fires. If thinning by 

 fire goes on, it will be impossible in the near future to burn charcoal 

 profitably in the county. 



Although fires are not common in the shore-timber, they are espe- 

 cially noticeable where ties and telegraph poles have been cut. The 

 slash left from such cuttings on these areas usually catches fire and 

 results in great damage to the future crop. 



Fire Protection. 



The only measure to insure fire protection to the forests of the 

 county is the awakening of a sentiment among the farmers that will 

 not tolerate carelessness in regard to fire. Measures for the protec- 

 tion of these forests can be easily devised, but it will be useless if the 

 Cecil land-owners do not care to see them enforced. 



The owners of forest lands seldom realize their loss when a fire 

 occurs. This is the reason for their indifference. If a crop of hay 

 is burned, the owner appreciates his loss. The crop represents to 

 him the money value of his labor. If the woodland, in young 

 sprouts, is burned and the crop is so thinned that at the time of cut- 

 ting 100 acres yield $1000 instead of $3000, the owner's loss of 

 $2000 is a future one and is not appreciated. 



The growing crop requires no outlay of time or money, and is 



