FOREST CONDITIONS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 81 



cut and peeled the spring before the rest of the area is logged over the 

 bark might be got out to the railroad first and be out of the way of 

 future logging operations. This has been done successfully in some of 

 the hemlock forests of East Tennessee. 



Failure to Cut Merchantable Trees. 



Many trees which contain merchantable material are left standing 

 in lumbering operations, because it is feared that the profit in hand- 

 ling them will not be large enough. These trees are often over-mature 

 and deteriorating, and will be worthless by the time the area is logged 

 again. Obviously the failure to cut such trees means just as much 

 direct loss to the owner selling stumpage or cutting his land as does 

 the failure to completely utilize a tree which has been cut. After these 

 trees die and while they are still standing, they greatly increase the 

 fire danger by their tendency to scatter sparks for great distances. 



Some of the trees may be merely crooked and defective, instead of 

 over-mature and decaying. In this case, though there may be no di- 

 rect loss from leaving them, it is probable that the indirect loss will 

 be considerable; for they generally take up a good deal of room in the 

 forest and hinder reproduction and growth. 



Of course, it is difficult to induce lumbermen to cut trees yielding a 

 doubtful profit, but some arrangement might be agreed upon whereby 

 the stumpage price of such material might be greatly reduced or done 

 away with altogether. Even if no returns at all were obtained from 

 such trees the forest would be greatly benefited by their removal, be- 

 cause of the lessened fire risk and increased productivity. 



INJURY TO TREES LEFT STANDING. 



Often the injury to trees left standing is so great that even where 

 only the larger trees are cut the tract looks as though a clear cutting 

 had been practiced. Felling a large tree into a clump of young growth 

 or into a small tree to break its fall is most destructive to the forest. 

 Young chestnut, poplar, linn, and other valuable trees, too small to be 

 merchantable, are thus destroyed or very seriously damaged. When it 

 is desirable to break the fall of a tree, only the most worthless trees 

 should be chosen for this purpose. Care should be taken to fell trees 

 away from healthy groups of young growth, not only to prevent the 

 damage in felling, but also that the dry tops may not be a fire menace. 



In logging operations, where skidders are used, skidding lines should 

 be laid out with some regard to the young growth. "With the exercise 

 of a little care, suitable skid roads can be made with a minimum of 

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