39 



It is more practical and of more general value to the country, 

 that the former practise the principles of good forestry on his 

 woodlot, than that the government own large reservations. There 

 are many reasons why the farmer should and could be governed 

 by modern forestry principles in the management of his wood- 

 lot. The land is his, he has time to look after his forest, to study 

 its needs and requirements ; he needs the timber for farm opera- 

 tions; he can protect it from fire, preserve the young trees, and 

 plant more as needed. 



If all of the eight million farmers of this country would plant 

 or wisely manage woodlots, the general forest conditions and the 

 lumber supply of the country would be grealy improved. 



Planting forests is not a new unheard of thing. The seedlings 

 of such trees as catalpa, black locust, walnut, ash, and poplar, 

 may be purchased for small sums, and an acre of land will sup- 

 port from 500 to 1000 of these trees. The trees shovild be planted 

 on land prepared as if for a corn crop, and set from six to eight 

 feet apart each way. The young trees should be cultivated for 

 the first four or five years, or until the crowns touch and the 

 canopy entirely shades the ground. In a comparatively short 

 time the young forest will be full of promise, even within the 

 life-time of one generation. 



If the farmer already has a woodlot so much the better. His 

 scientific forestry then will consist of cleaning out worthless, 

 dead, misshapen or crowded trees, and giving all valuable species 

 every advantage of root and crown space. If fire is kept out, and 

 grass is shaded down, the forest will naturally regenerate itself, 

 and the farmer may use the mature trees, and the thinnings from 

 his woodlot wihout imparing the permanency of his forest. 



NEED FOR PRACTICAL APPALACHIAN FORESTRY. 



by Hu Maxwell, Washington, D. C. 



Two central and important facts come at once into prominence 

 in any consideration of forest questions which relate to West Vir- 

 ginia or the region surrounding it. The first is that the tim- 

 ber supply is being rapidly depleted, and the other is that a serious 

 deterioration is taking place in the forest soils. The soil deterio- 



