12 



The Forests op Maryland. 



marshy areas which at that time probably comprised not over 5 per 

 cent. These forests were very different from those that now exist. 

 The species of trees represented then were much the same as now, but 

 their relative proportion has changed materially. The original forests 

 were nearly all of the hardwood type ; now there is a large proportion 

 of pine, especially in sections where land once cleared has been allowed 

 to grow up again in forest. 



With the first settlers came fires, which during nearly three 

 centuries have destroyed much more timber than has been used. Fire 

 was an aid to the settler in clearing his land, and timber, having no 

 value at that period, was destroyed in the most effective way. The 

 important thing was to get rid of the forest and make way for the 

 growing of agricultural crops. The timber in the original forest was 

 better and the stands heavier than now exist, and of these virgin for- 

 ests there now remain but a very few tracts which probably comprise 

 much less than one per cent of the total forest area. The extent of the 

 original forests and the need of clearing them away as quickly as possi- 

 ble for the growing of food crops inculcated in the minds of those early 

 settlers an enmity for the forest which through the successive genera- 

 tions has not been entirely ei'adicated. The frontiersman's spirit of 

 cutting down and destro.ying timber is a spirit which expressed itself 

 unconsciously in many ways. To him the forest stood between him and 

 the opportunity of getting a living from the soil, and besides had often 

 harbored unfriendly Indians and predatory animals. The spirit of 

 forest destruction was fostered by economic conditions of the time, and 

 while those conditions have entirely changed in tlie succeeding years, 

 a spirit of antagonism to the forest still exists in many ways. 



In making clearings it was common practice then to girdle the 

 trees as the easiest method of preparing the ground for crops. With 

 the extension of the clearings to include all the best land, timber be- 

 came less abundant, while the use of it greatly increased. Tlie increase 

 in population called for large quantities of timber in l)uilding log 

 houses and in constructing rail fences. This, though, had little effect 

 upon the supply, since the timber taken from the clearings more than 

 supplied the need. AVith the Iniilding of towns and cities there was a 

 greater demand upon the forest, and this gradually developed into a 

 stable market requiring timber beyond local needs. It was no longer 

 taking the timber as an incident to the clearing of land, for it was at 

 this time that forest exploitation actually began. Timber, however, 

 was so abundant and cheap that only the best portions of the choicest 

 ti-ees were utilized. The problem of transporting the timber over poor 

 roads made it cost nearly as much to get it out as it was worth, and 

 stumpage values then were almost negligible. 



