Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-04-04
From the New England Farmer.
Forest Trees.

Mr. COLE: When this country was
new, but little regard was paid to the pres
ervation of timber as the chief object OF
the settlers was TO clear the land aud has
ten it TO a state of cultivation. The mar
ket prices also of Montreal, and New York
have made heavy drafts upon US, so much
so that timber, both for building and fuel,
is becoming scarce and dear among US, and
now the railroads are calling for share of
what is left along on their lines. | have
| felt aware of this state of things for many
years, with the exception of the railroads,
the rapid advances of which have surprised
us all. More than twenty years ago my at.
tention was directed TO this point by FesSen-
den's n. E. Farmer, the reading of which
was worth more 10 me than ten times its
cost, not only on this subject, but thou
sand others. Thus, " foreseeIng the evil
hid myself" 1t has been my practice for
many years, to allow the second growth of
timber to come along after the axe, where
we get our yearly supply of firewood, and
as soon as the young timber is of sufficient
size to prune, cut out such as please to
destroy, and trim up the best and most thrift
| ~ trees about SIX feet from the ground, leay-
! ing perhaps from eight hundred TO a thou
sand trees TO the acre. l have now seven
or eight acres of land in one parcel, produ-
cling dense crop of timber and wood, from
one to seventeen years growth as this TIM
Der is all IN one piece, 1t looks most beauti-
fully as far as ii has been trimmed up aud
thinned out
One part oft, about two acres. was clear
ed in 1914; a crop of wheat taken in 1915,
then pastured until about 1888, when dis
covered little white pine bushes coming up
very thick all over the land These were al
lowed to stand unmolested BY the axe until
1899, at which time we Trimmed out the
thickest bushes, and trimmed up the rest
about six feet from the ground, leaving a.
bout eight hundred trees to the acre. Now,
on going into this forest, it seems hardly
possible that so great quantity of timber
could have grown there IN so short time.
1t is believed tina there is more timber now
already grown on this land, than was origi-
nally grown on IT, setting aside a few large
pines. My intention is to thin out this
place so as to leave about four hundred
trees to the acre, aud trim up at least TWEEN
ty feet this season. This is what we call
upland; timber formerly was chiefly of
hard wood Our lowands or swamps we
IT anage in the same way, except we omit
trimming, and let it take care OF itself; we
cut all clean as we 20.
| have observed where timber in the
swamp was originally Cedar and Pine, the
second growth is chiefly Tamarack, the
American Larch, Hackmatack-ED., =
some Cedar, but no Pine; and on upland,
where hard wood formerly grew, now some
other varieties occupy their places. For
instance, one piece, where the hard wood,
Beech, Maple, &C., covered the land, now,
after the land was burned over in dry
time, and fire destroyed the whole, crop
of Pigeon Cherries come up very thick all
over the land where Cherry tree was new
err before discovered.
In another instance, | observed where
the land was originally covered by hard
wood, white Pine is its second growth,
and another, in the place of Pine and Hem
lock, maple has come up in great abun-
ance | have lot oftrees, about three hum
bred trees on some less than half an acre
growing most luxurianiy. 1t is proper to
remark, however, that new varieties of TIM
Der do not occupy the land where the orr
ginal is cut off. An instance of this kind
may be seen in Cornwall, a few rods distant
from my own land, where the timber was
all Cedar, and all taken off twenty-five or
thirty years ago; this is all Cedar now, and
is SO thick that man cannot pass between
the trees in some places on account OF their
nearness to each other
1t is believed that fifteen acres of good
wood land properly managed will be amply
sufficient for timber, boards, &C., TO keep
in repair, and firewood for a farm
for ages to come. But may not have adop-
ted the best plan to accomplish the object:
and if you or any Of your readers can sug-
gest any improvement on the above plan,
you will greatly oblige constant reader
and lover Of improvement.
Respectfully yours,
JOHN NJ. WEEKS.
WEST FARMS, near Mlddlebury
VI. February Z, 1850.