52 



In the Maine forests great areas of forest lands were killed by bark 

 beetles some 3^ears ago. If the dead trees had been cut shortly after 

 their death, the timber might have been utilized, and it would have 

 been as valuable as that from live trees, for the beetles do not mine in 

 the heartwood. This was not done, however, and before long the 

 whole forest of dead trees was rendered worthless by several fungi, 

 notabl}" Polypanis j^i'i^icola and Polyj^oriis siibacichis. What is true of 

 larger areas holds for individual trees in the forest, and also in those 

 sections where strong winds blow over many trees. Such an area, 

 technically known as a windfall, offers opportunities for the action of 

 destructive fungi, and the same recommendations just made for areas 

 where trees are destro^^ed by insects hold good. A dead tree is as 

 valuable as a live tree, provided its wood is sound, and it ought to be 

 cut immediateh^ There is some prejudice among lumber bosses that 

 such trees are of no account; nothing can be further from the truth, 

 and this fact ought to be insisted on b}' those in charge of cutting 

 operations. 



The trees, now in the forest, which are diseased are bevond help, and 

 it is at present neither practicable nor economical to practice the 

 methods in use b}^ the European foresters, which consist in the prompt 

 removal and destruction of the diseased trees. The time ^vill come 

 when this may prove profitable in the regenerated forests, but for the 

 present the most hopeful method of combating fungi is by conservative 

 lumbering. Men who are acquainted with the manner in which insects 

 and fungi work and who can direct the cutting operations ought to be 

 emplo3^ed. 



It ma}^ not be out of place here to refer to the growing sentiment in 

 favor of restricted cutting, which was ver}^ much in evidence in the 

 localities visited. Much agitation is still going on decrying the lum- 

 berman as the greatest enemy of the forest; but with the growing reali- 

 zation that it is possible to utilize the timber of the forest and still 

 leave a forest which will yield timber from year to A^ear, this feeling- 

 is gradually lessening. The lumberman has not been slow in realizing 

 that restricted cutting will be more economical in the long run than the 

 indiscriminate destruction of the past years. It is gratifying to note 

 that two of the largest lumber owners of western Maine are emplo}'- 

 ing trained foresters, under whose directions the cutting operations are 

 carried on.^ These men will not onl}^ be able to make operations more 

 profitable, but can also aid in gathering information which may go to 

 solve many of the problems still to be unraveled in connection with the 

 enemies of forest trees. 



^ See also Graves, Henry S. The Practice of Forestry ))y Private Owners. Year- 

 book, Dept. of Agr. 1899: 415. 1900. 



