MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 313 



removed with them, their place to be taken by thrifty young sprouts 

 or seedlings. The trees to remain for a crop on the Barrens are 

 Chestnut, and the Bed, Black and White Oaks. The main crop of 

 the shore-timber should come from Tulip-tree, "White Oak, Chestnut 

 Oak, Chestnut, White Ash, Black Walnut, and Mockernut Hickory. 

 A supplemental crop may come from the other Oaks, Ashes, and 

 Hickories, the Elms, Locust, and Dogwood. 



After the composition of a stand has been improved by the re- 

 moval of the weeds and the starting of a good crop, the quality and 

 quantity of the desired crop must be considered. This is simply de- 

 ciding on the cultivation necessary to produce the largest possible 

 amount of good material. If a cordwood crop is grown, each acre 

 should have enough trees to shade the ground and prevent its dry- 

 ing; surface fires must be kept out, as the litter helps to retain the 

 moisture of the soil. The shade and litter are essential to the best 

 growth of the trees. For the cordwood crop the stands should be 

 even-aged, maturing, like grain crops, at one time, giving a clean 

 cut, and thus lessening the cost of production. The cordwood crop 

 may be compared to the grass or small grain crops, both are started 

 and left to themselves until the time for cutting. A lumber crop, 

 like a special agricultural crop, tobacco, for instance, requires con- 

 stant care from planting to maturity, in order to produce the desired 

 quality and quantity of material. Only the general needs of a lum- 

 ber crop may be mentioned here. 



Litter and shade are as important for the lumber crop as for cord- 

 wood. Tall trunks, clear of limbs, make the best lumber, and to 

 produce these the trees must stand very close in their youth (Plate 

 XXVIII, Tig. 2). The lower limbs die in the shade and drop early, 

 and the young trees grow tall and straight. After the clear boles, 

 or trunks, are secured, the stands must be thinned to allow the 

 trunks to increase in diameter. Several thinnings may be neces- 

 sary during the life of a crop. If we start with 1000 small 

 trees per acre, there may be room for only 200 large trees 

 when they are ready to cut. In thinning, the 800 trees must be re- 

 moved. The early thinnings will furnish fuel, posts, and rails, and 



