28 BULLETIN 1491, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
appears, in fact, that such thinning or culling out of the poor species 
when the stand of trees is young will be far more effective in con- 
trolling the composition of the new stand than any system of cut- 
ting in the old stand that might be followed. Whether or not these 
operations are feasible at the present time is something for each 
owner to determine. In the long run, they will pay. It is a propo- 
sition of building up the assets of the timber property. 
IN VIRGIN OR LIGHTLY CULLED STANDS 
Upland type. — In the upland type of the northern part of this 
region, white oak, black oak, scarlet oak, northern red oak, black 
walnut, butternut, white elm, white ash, beech, basswood, hickory, 
yellow poplar, and hard maple are the predominating species. Of 
these, the yellow poplar, basswood, and red oak grow the most rapidly 
and are excellent species to favor in the stand if possible. Because 
of its high market value, black walnut is another. White ash and 
hickory are not so rapid in growth but are very valuable commer- 
cially in smaller sizes than the others; they should also be favored. 
Although a very fine species, the white oak does not grow rapidly and 
is not particularly valuable in small sizes ; it does not appear to be 
so good a tree to favor here as the others mentioned, except for some 
special purpose which the owner has in mind or in situations where 
it is decidedly the predominating and best species present, as in some 
stands of mixed oaks. The hard or sugar maple is slow growing and 
not highly valuable for its lumber. It is a very fine tree to have in 
a mixture with others, however, because it produces quantities of 
leaves that are returned to and enrich the forest soil; moreover, it 
can be developed into sugar orchards. Ordinarily, if present in a 
stand, it will maintain itself in sufficient numbers without any special 
help. 
Occasionally other species occur which have a special value, such as 
red mulberry for fence posts. These should be favored. Other 
species in the stand should be cut more heavily and gradually elimi- 
nated from the woods. This is particularly true of ironwood and 
blue beech, both of which bear seed when as small as 2 or 3 inches in 
diameter and crowd into openings of the forest. 
In the upland type of the southern part of this region northern 
red oak, basswood, scarlet oak, and butternut are not so abundant. 
Blackjack oak, post oak, southern red oak, chestnut oak, chestnut, 
black locust, black gum, buckeye, persimmon, and dogwood come into 
the stands. Here the species to favor are yellow poplar, the red oaks, 
black walnut, ash, hickory in moist situations, black locust, and to a 
less extent hard maple. White oak, chestnut oak, southern red oak, 
and perhaps black oak growing on poor soils should be favored over 
post oak, blackjack oak, black gum, and hickory, which ordinarily 
occur in mixture with oaks on these soils. Chestnut should be elimi- 
nated from the stands because it seems certain to be killed by the 
chestnut blight. Ironwood, blue beech, black gum, dogwood, haw- 
thorn, redbud, sassafras, persimmon, buckeye, and similar species 
of little or no value should be cut just as closely as possible. 
In the upland type it is believed that, except to meet specially 
favorable market opportunities, the hardwood trees of the most 
valuable species should not be cut before they are 18 or 20 inches in 
