m 
when a gap is made in the woods by the removal of a tree, there is 
nothing to grow up and fill in the vacancy, except weed trees that 
start easily, or else the ground becomes covered with weeds or a 
matting of grass that prevents by drying the upper layers of the 
soil the germination and development of seedlings from seeds. 
In such a case the only way to secure trees of the species desired is 
to plant them in the woodlot. Seedlings for this purpose can be 
purchased of nurserymen, or use can be made of seedlings of the 
right species found growing abundantly in other portions of the 
woodlot or the seeds of trees can be planted directly in the wood- 
lot, or they can be planted in the garden and the seedlings grown 
for a year or two and then removed to the desired location. 
The trouble with most farmers' woodlots is, there are not 
enough trees grown to the acre or else the woodlot is filled with 
useless trees. If from most of our woodlots the owner should re- 
move the weed trees and those of the better kinds that are so ill- 
shapen or defective as to be of little value, there would be but few 
trees left to the acre. This condition has arisen from the general 
practice of constantly removmg the better trees and leaving the 
poorer. If a tree is desired for cordwood the owner generally re- 
moves a straight thrifty tree, because it will split easily, rather 
than cut out an old gnarly, limby or defective tree. The result of 
this treatment is that the woodlot soon becomes filled with trees 
useless for an}^ purpose on the farm and the owner wonders why 
his woodlot is running out. It is a common saying that a farmer 
cannot use his woodlot and maintain it in a thrifty condition. 
That this statement is so generally true is because of lack of 
thought and judgment in the selection of the trees to cut. The 
defective and illy-formed trees occupy space that better trees 
should occupy. Where they are allowed to remain year after year 
they soon become branchy and occupy the space several trets 
should occupy. Such trees should be removed and utilized as 
cordwood and in their place made to grow trees of the right 
species and form. 
The kind of tree we desire to raise in the woodlot is one with a 
long, clean bole that will yield a large amount of clear material. 
A. tree growing in the open produces branches that clothe a tree 
often to the ground, the result is a short tapering bole full of knots 
and difficult to split. A tree grown in a dense forest produces a 
bole free of limbs. This is because as soon as a limb is deprived 
of light it dies and soon falls to the ground. This is called natural 
pruning. In forestry the aim is to grow trees closely enough to- 
g-ether so as to produce this natural pruning. Another result of 
growing trees closely together is the production of a long bole. 
This is because of the competition for light between trees so 
planted. Inasmuch as they cannot spread their crowns so as to 
get the desired amount of light, it is necessary to seek the light 
above. There is a race between the trees for the light resulting in 
the long boles so much desired by lumbermen. In most of our 
woodlots so few trees are grown to the acre that this natural prun- 
