THINNING AND PRUNING. 25 
able conclusions of the observation of intelligent, practical men. 
Most of these conclusions are confirmed by the concurring tes- 
timony of great numbers of persons. 
The ninth question in my circular, was, “In felling for tim- 
ber, or for fuel, is it the practice to thin out the forest, or to cut 
it entirely down, and leave it to spring up from the stumps? 
Which is considered preferable ?”’ 
From the answers returned, I find that, in felling for timber, 
the practice is to select suitable trees, from any part of the for- 
est. No instances have come to my knowledge of extensive 
woods, cultivated with express reference to the production of 
timber. In felling for fuel, the practice has been to select the old 
and mature trees, especially such as have begun to decay. It 
has now become nearly a universal practice to cut clean and close. 
Experience has uniformly shown this to be most economical. 
Several of my correspondents have subjoined the reason. One 
of them* writes,— Trees which remain where woods are 
thinned, are much shaken by the winds, and often destroyed. 
Again, unless the timber be all or nearly all taken off, the new 
growth is shaded, sparse and feeble. But where a new forest 
springs up, 1t accommodates itself to all circumstances of wind 
and tempest.’ Another + says,—‘‘Some persons in this town 
have trimmed up young white oak and walnut (hickory) 
woods, clearing the undergrowth, when the wood itself con- 
sisted of young shoots of 10 or 12 years of age. The result of 
this experiment does not seem to justify a continuation of the 
practice.’”’ Experience here seems to confirm a well known 
principle, that the quantity of wood formed depends upon the 
number of the branches, or rather upon the extent of surface of 
the leaves. ‘To the question,—‘‘ How soon will a wood, which 
has been cut entirely down, renew itself so as to be profit- 
ably cut again?” the answers are very full and satisfactory, 
though very various. The object is every where supposed to be 
fuel. Some give a definite period, varying, for different places, 
from 15, 17, 18, 20, to 25, 30 and 35 years. The average of 
* William Bacon, Esq., of Mount Osceola, Richmond. 
+ Austin Bacon, Esq., of Natick. 
4 
