FOREST CONDITIONS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 89 



needed, part of the stand should be left for seed, and may be taken 

 later at a third and final cutting. 



This system, however, will be practicable only where the forest is 

 so accessible that cuttings yielding comparatively small volumes per 

 acre and repeated at 5 to 15 year intervals will pay. 



It will probably more often be necessary to make large openings in 

 order to secure a larger cut per acre. In this case the trees left should 

 be the younger and more vigorous ones of whatever species. It will 

 be advisable, of course, to leave as large a proportion of chestnut as 

 possible in order to seed up the area. 



When cutting is done in the late fall (after the leaves have turned 

 or fallen) and in the winter, and where there are enough trees which 

 are not too badly damaged to produce good sprouts, it may be possible 

 to make practically a clear cutting leaving a few seed trees of chest- 

 nut, chestnut oak and possibly yellow poplar. 



This, however, can not be done in the spring and summer without 

 injury to the future stand and even sometimes risking its existence. 

 Chestnut cut in the spring and summer sometimes produces fair sprouts, 

 but never as vigorous ones as do trees cut in the late fall or in the 

 winter, and sometimes produces none whatever. Summer is the worst 

 season for sprouting; even such sprouts as are produced in summer 

 are often killed back by autumn frosts before they have been able to 

 form woody tissue. As a general rule, therefore, large openings, even 

 almost clear cuttings with seed trees, will be safe (though not the 

 best form of management) in the fall and winter, but very unsafe in 

 the spring and summer. 



Wherever .chestnut oak is found there is generally an abundance of 

 seedling reproduction on the ground. If, however, this advance re- 

 production is absent, a few seed trees to the acre left after cutting 

 should suffice; because chestnut oak generally reproduces excellently by 

 seed. 



Where hickory is present it should be encouraged. Wherever in cut- 

 ting in the autumn and winter hickory is found and is sufficiently vigor- 

 ous to reproduce by sprouts, it should be cut ; because second growth hick- 

 ory is valuable whereas first growth hickory is not.. If it is unlikely to 

 sprout, and there is no seedling reproduction around it, the hickory 

 might as well be left for seed. 



Great damage is suffered by this forest from hogs. These animals eat 

 the chestnuts and acorns, and thus prevent seedling reproduction. They 

 should be excluded for a few years before cutting, during cutting, and 

 after cutting until the new forest has become fully established. 



