80 



The Forests op Maryland. 



absence of forest land. Only 21 per cent of Frederick is wooded, and 

 there are but three counties in Maryland possessing a greater relative 

 area in improved agricultural lands. 



The County's forests are practically all of hardwood growth. The 

 only stands of pine of any consequence are one of mixed hardwood 

 and pine in the Catoctin Mountains, west of Thurmont, another small 

 area southeast of Motters, and one to the east of Buckeystown. The 

 mountain forests are made up principally of chestnut and chestnut 

 oak, white, black and scarlet oaks, hickory, tulip poplar and gum. The 

 forests of the southeastern part of the County contain a much smaller 

 percentage of chestnut, and a relatively larger amount of the oaks, 

 with the exception of the chestnut oak, which is here less abundant 

 than in the mountain section; there is practically no chestnut what- 

 ever in the Frederick Valley, or elsewhere, on limestone or limestone 

 derivative soils. 



The Catoctin Furnace, one of the oldest in Maryland making 

 "charcoal iron," was established in 1774. During the American 

 Revolution the Furnace supplied cannon and projectiles to the Con- 

 tinental Army, and until the end of the last century still operated 

 about 10,000 acres of woodland near its location in the Catoctin Moun- 

 tains, helping with other charcoal foundries of that time to give Mary- 

 land an important position in the iron industry. 



The making of charcoal iron caused the clear cutting of extensive 

 forested areas, with consequent sprout forests of even age which de- 

 veloped after the intensive cuttings of 20 to 100 years ago. Some of 

 the best forest soils of the State are found in the Catoctins, but where- 

 ever forest fires have been frequent, as is apt to be the case in moun- 

 tain sections, the forest growth is scrubby and of little value. Thia 

 condition has also been intensified by the system of culling which has 

 been practiced here for generations. The most important timber trees 

 at present are the oaks, chestnut, tulip poplar, and hickory ; along the 

 crests of the mountains, the chestnut and chestnut oak; and farther 

 down the slopes, on the deeper and richer soils, the scarlet and black 

 oaks, white oak, red oak, hickory, and tulip poplar in varying propor- 

 tions. In the deep and fertile valley soils excellent stands of white 

 oak, red oak, tulip poplar, and other species occur, the improved con- 

 dition of such forests in the non-mountainous areas being due in part 

 to better soils, and somewhat to more efficient fire protection. The sur- 

 vey of 1911 shows that hardwoods constitute 99 per cent of Frederick's 

 forest area, with the remaining 1 per cent in mixed hardwood and 

 pine. There are 3,300 acres of hardwoods with an average stand of 

 5,000 or more board feet per acre, with 87,358 acres of hardwoods 

 amounting to less than this : 62 acres of pine, all under 5,000 feet per 



