FOREST PROTECTION 111 



d. Insist on thorough protection against 



ground fires which, above all, foster 

 the growth of weeds and are in- 

 jurious to the nobility amongst the 

 forest species. Kalmia, chinquapin, 

 alder, soft maple, gum, halesia ob- 

 tain the upper hand in the forest 

 through fires. On fertile soil the 

 growth of annual and biennial weeds 

 after fires is especially luxuriant. In 

 the Adirondacks, the reforestation 

 of fire-swept tracts is handicapped 

 by the excessive growth of forest 

 weeds. 



e. Admit for pasture cattle, hogs, sheep 



and goats, thus checking at the 

 same time the danger from fires. 



II. Restrictive Measures. 



a. Cut (with a mowing scythe) herbaceous 



weeds before the seed ripens. 



b. In forest plantations, cultivate the rows 



of plants, or raise farm crops to- 

 gether with seedlings. 



c. Plow abandoned fields thorouglhy before 



reforestation. 



d. Crush blackberry briars; decapitate ferns; 



skin thorns; deaden gum, dogwood, 

 maple, beech; remove the bark for 

 2 ft. above the stump on cotton- 

 woods to prevent the growth of root 

 sucivers ■ 



e. Cover the stumps of undesirable hard- 



woods with dirt or brush; poison the 

 stumps; peel the stumps down into 

 the roots; set fire to brush heaps 

 massed upon such stumps in cop- 

 pice woods. 



D. Weed Species. 



I. Andromeda, huckleberry, etc., are expelled by the 

 continued use of a briar scythe, preferably in 

 early August. Valuable seedlings are planted 

 on reversed sods when placed in thickets formed 

 by the above species. 



