40 BULLETIN" 1061, U. S. DEPAKTMENT OF AGKICULTURE 
removed. These usually represent, however, less than one-fifth of 
the total timber volume of the stand. 
The final clean cutting of the stand should include provisions for 
early restocking of the land before oaks and other inferior growth 
get a footing. A good way to do this is to leave seed trees. These 
should be the vigorous, full topped, or limby trees, of less value for 
lumber. In practically all stands they may be found growing alone 
in openings, and hence are well rooted and wind firm against the 
storms that may follow the cutting. It is well to spot the trees 
with white paint before cutting operations are begun, as is being 
done in some operations in the South. Certain State laws require 
this, as is pointed out under "A seed-tree law " (p. 35). It is some- 
times good practice to cut to a diameter limit, as, for example, down 
to 12 inches. In this way trees below good merchantable size will be 
left on the ground to aid in reseeding the land and to provide good 
material for cutting 5 to 10 years later. In logging timber, often no 
profit but a positive loss is incurred by trying to handle trees too 
small in size. Good forestry in lumbering operations calls for pre- 
serving the young and thrifty trees. 
The amount of material secured from the several thinnings re- 
quired in well-stocked stands up to an age of 50 to 70 years might 
easily be equivalent to one-third of the total amount yielded at the 
final cutting of the stand. The value of the timber, of course, would 
depend upon its location with reference to transportation facilities 
and upon the competition from outside markets. Wherever possible 
the trees to be removed in thinnings should first be worked for tur- 
pentine, because at times the gum brings more than would be realized 
from the later sale of the timber. Progress in building good roads 
is rapid, and it will therefore be only a relatively short time before 
young pine comes into its own and has a very real value on the 
stump. With the higher prices that are being paid for all forest 
products, including lumber, crossties, poles, piling, fuel wood, paper 
pulp wood, and turpentine rights, the proper disposal of young- 
timber is well worth looking after and should often more than pay 
for the cutting. 
REFORESTATION 
One often hears it said that the land will never come back to pine. 
To a great degree this statement has been justified, and it will be 
true so long as the prevailing practice continues and the prevailing 
sentiment maintains that the woods " just will burn and must burn." 
Getting young longleaf started, however, is not a serious problem. 
The bulk of the cut-over land has some seed-bearing trees ; through- 
out much of the South there is probably a sufficient number of seed 
trees. Contrary to the general belief, cut-over longleaf lands have 
at rather frequent intervals become well stocked with seedling 
stands, each in turn of relatively short duration, because of agencies 
mostly of man's making and mostly under his control. Fire and 
native hogs have been the undoing of young longleaf pine. Re- 
forestation thus becomes largely a matter of educating people as to 
the destructive nature of fire and hogs and as to methods of pro- 
viding the necessary protection. The reforestation of lands from 
which all longleaf trees capable of bearing seed have been removed 
