classes none but the slowest growing trees should 

 be removed. In the 20- to 28-inch diameter 

 classes, all trees of less than average growth rates 

 should be cut; and in the 30- to 38-inch diameter 

 classes, all trees should be cut except those showing 

 the highest rates of growth. All trees 40 inches 

 and larger should be harvested since they have 

 usually reached their greatest value. 



The volume of the average residual stand after 

 such a harvest would be distributed approximately 

 as follows: 11 percent in trees at least 30 inches in 

 diameter, 58 percent in trees 20 to 28 inches in 

 diameter, and 31 percent in trees 14 to 18 inches in 

 diameter. According to available data on growth 

 and mortality, it is estimated that, after one or two 

 15-year cutting periods of protection from fire and 

 reasonably good management, the 4,000 feet left in 

 residual stands can be expected to increase during 

 a 1 5-year period to 9,000 board feet per acre. There- 

 after cuttings which leave 4,000 board feet per acre 

 can be expected at 15-year intervals. 



In addition to improving growth in quantity, se- 

 lective cuttings can also improve growth in quality. 

 If in the first cut, the lower grades of timber are 

 utilized to the fullest extent practicable, the per- 

 centage of volume in high-quality timber can be 

 materially increased each time the area is har- 

 vested. It is reasonable to anticipate that within 

 two cutting periods the proportion of material in 

 high-quality logs can be increased by as much as 

 30 percent. The saw-timber cut should remove as 

 high a proportion as feasible of the more poorly 

 formed trees and trees of inferior quality or species. 

 In addition to the saw timber, as many as possible 

 of the suppressed trees below sawlog size and of the 

 sound and rotten culls should be removed. The 

 sooner these inferior and cull trees are out of the 

 growing stock, the better. With the present qual- 

 ity requirements for hardwood lumber in the indus- 

 tries, the disposal of such low-grade material pre- 

 sents many difficulties, which, in fact, form the 

 most substantial obstacle to management for sus- 

 tained yield. Surmounting this obstacle involves 

 the discovery of cheaper and more efficient methods 

 of operation and the development of adequate 

 markets for material from trees of poor quality, 

 small size, or little-used species. Integrated logging 

 for a group of industries whose timber require- 

 ments are complementary with respect to species, 

 size, and quality is one of the most promising steps 



toward the solution of the problem. Integrated 

 logging is an operation that removes all the timber 

 that it is proper to cut from a given area at one 

 time and then sorts the material for the use to which 

 its size, quality, and species best adapt it. This 

 kind of logging is possible even now in some 

 measure; with sufficient increase in markets for all 

 classes of material it can be extended so as to realize 

 fully the objectives of forest management. 



There are, of course, several degrees of intensity 

 in selective cuttings, and some owners, because of 

 their heavy taxes or indebtedness, the unbalanced 

 condition of their growing stock, the lack of balance 

 between their timber supply and plant capacity, 

 or because of other circumstances, may find it im- 

 practicable to proceed in accordance with the cut- 

 ting policy outlined above and may wish to liqui- 

 date their timber investment. It has been demon- 

 strated, however, that even in such cases it pays to 

 choose carefully the trees to be felled and such 

 owners will generally find it to their advantage to 

 cut conservatively, leaving for further growth the 

 smaller, rapid-growing trees and the larger trees of 

 doubtful present value. Logging and milling 

 studies carried on by the Forest Products Labora- 

 tory have shown that the indiscriminate cutting of 

 trees of all sizes invariably produces both a hidden 

 loss (owing to the excessive cost of handling small 

 timber) and a low return (owing to the poorer 

 average quality of the output). Another possible 

 advantage accruing from conservative cutting is the 

 increased value of the cut-over forest lands for 

 timber growing; if there are prospects of immediate 

 agricultural use, however, this advantage may be 

 nullified. 



Protection from periodic forest fires also is essen- 

 tial if the forest is to attain its highest producing 

 capacity. The prevention of burning will check 

 to a considerable extent at least, the present great 

 losses in volume and grade due to rot, insects, and 

 windfall. It will also favorably affect the rate of 

 volume increment and will materially reduce the 

 loss in small trees needed for the maintenance of the 

 growing stock. Since there is no organized system 

 of fire prevention in this unit, the State and Federal 

 Governments cooperating under the Clark-McNary 

 law should provide for this service. 



Treatment of JVoncommercial Areas 



As has been shown, about 80 percent of the forest 

 area in the unit is classified as noncommercial be- 



41 



