FOREST CONDITIONS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 91 



also be kept from the woods during and after logging where any attempt 

 is made to reproduce this species, as they destroy all that they can reach. 



It is very important to keep hogs out of this sub-type before, during, 

 and after lumbering of the ridge. 



Cove. — The mountain cove is the home of the yellow poplar, and of 

 the chestnut. Other important trees are white oak, red oak, ash, linn, 

 hickory, and cucumber. The most profitable tree to grow is yellow 

 poplar, and the next is chestnut. White oak and ash should also be en- 

 couraged because, although slow growers, their wood is of great value. 

 ITone of these trees should be discriminated against, because all are of 

 considerable value. 



Poplar should be reproduced by seed because only the younger trees 

 sprout. With chestnut it will generally be safe to depend upon sprout 

 reproduction except when the trees are cut in the spring and summer. 

 The method of cutting should, therefore, be to leave poplar seed trees 

 either in the middle of or alongside of large openings of about 200 feet 

 in diameter. If it will be possible to cut again within 10 years, the 

 large mature trees can be left, because not only will they yield large 

 quantities of seed, but in all probability they will also greatly increase 

 in value. If no cut is expected for a period longer than 10 years, it 

 will be advisable to leave the most vigorous young trees, which are but 

 of small value for lumber or pulp now, but which will grow rapidly 

 and will yield the seed necessary to fill the openings with young poplar. 

 Where logging extends over a period of a year or more the poplar should 

 be cut last, thus allowing it to at least partly seed up the area opened 

 up by cutting the other species. 



With chestnut cut in the fall and winter it will be possible to make 

 very large openings or nearly clear cuttings, except for leaving the 

 straightest young trees to grow to telephone poles. These should be 

 left in groups wherever possible so that they will continue their height 

 growth instead of becoming branchy. When cutting is done in the 

 spring and summer a certain amount of seedling reproduction of chest- 

 nut must be secured to make up for the poorness of the sprouts. The 

 openings should then be made smaller. 



White oak and ash must be reproduced chiefly from seed. The seed- 

 lings of both species need light. Therefore the method of cutting to 

 secure this reproduction will be to make an opening around a seed tree. 

 It will be better to leave a vigorous young tree than a defective old one 

 in the opening, because, although the quantity of seed may not be as 

 great, yet the smaller tree will interfere less with reproduction coming 

 up under it, and can be utilized in a future cutting. The opening for 



