The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-02-09
Timber Lots.

KIND ot land. Most people VINO
lave ii no experience with it
would ieel sure that it required less
than halfthe skill which is needed
to carry on an ordinary farm. But
experien is a great teacher and fire.
quently axes unexpected and as
tonishing revelations. Most mer
who assume the care of wooded
lands find sooner or later that, in or
der to turn everything at a time and
in a manner VIII ch will be the most
profitable, they need all the ability
and skill they possess. 1t is not
very hard to cut off everything that
has grown, and put it into the mar
ket ; but it is difficult matter to
cut at just the right time what
should be removed and leave what
should remain. There are two OPP
posite directions, in one of which
there is a strong libility to err.
Many owners of timber lots cut
wood and timber clean wherever
they GO, and without waiting until
the trees reach anything like matur-
ity. This course involves n great
waste. All clean cutting must in
volve loss, if the land is to be kept
for growing wood or timber +; for it
involves the removal of a great
many young trees, which are worth
nothing of any consequence for
wood, but which, having got well
started, are in a condition to rapidly
increase in value. If the old trees
were taken out and the sprouts and
young trees allowed to grow, a per-
petual wood lot could be easily
maintained. But, if everything is
cut clean, it will take many years
for the growth of anything large
enough for wood, and still longer
for timber trees to grow. Some peo-
pie, who do not cut everything, are
yearly cutting trees which, though
large enough to be of some value,
are yet growing rapidly and can on
ly be cut at a great sacrifice +; for
when tree has reached trunk di-
ameter of six or eight inches it has
attained a stage at which it makes a
much more rapid growth than ever
before. Five years added to the age
of such tree insures large addi-
ton TO its size and value. AT this
stage trees seem to grow rs much in
one year as they do in five of their
early life. To cut trees then is like
keeping lot of pullets until they
begin to lay, and then, just at the
point at which they begin to do
something toward paying the ex-
penses of their keeping, ~illing and
selling them for poultry. Everyone
can see that this would be foolish
operation, because up to this point
considerable expense has been IN
CURED and no income received. To
kill the pullets then makes sure o.
cutting off all receipts from eggs
and the small sum obtained for the
meat is far less than would be re-
ceived for this purpose ifthey were
kept until they were larger and fat
ter.
There is another extreme to which
some owners of wood lands go
which involves about as much los:
as the course which has just been
described. These men let their tim
Der stand too long, and it becomes
injured by the effects OF age and its
inevitable tendency to decay. The
writer has in his mind what was
once a splendid grove. Itwas own.
ed by an old gentleman, WHO had
grown up on the farm containing
the grove and whose more than
fourscore years dated back to the
early life of the tress. In his latel
years he spoke somewhat sadly oi
this grove. He knew that the tree:
were as valuable as they ever would
be, and that self-interest dictated
their removal; but his affection:
clung to the old trees, and he deter
mined that they should stand until
he was gone. After his death some
wagon manufacturers bought th'
timber and took it from the land
Many farmer in that community
felt a sense of personal loss when
those splendid old oaks were remov
ed vet it was found that the tree:
had stood far too long for their high
est value to be obtained. Many o
Them had decayed at the stump and
bore the marks Of injuries inflicted
| by age. Another piece of wGod
lard, containing a large number o.
heavy and splendid trees, comes to
mind. A few years ago these trees
would have been valuable for ship.
building and for many other pur-
poses but the owner declined to
sell them, and they now remain on
his lot monuments to his unwise de-
lay. Probably they would not now
sell for more than half what they
would have brought fifteen years
ago, and the interest on 4 large sum
OF money which might have been
obtained for them has been lost.
Here there was no excuse as in the
other instance, as this is merely .
common though valuable wood lot.
And there are many owners of TIM
Der lands in which there are many
trees which have passed their prime
and are now rapidly on the decline.
The loss involved in allowing these
trees to stand is very great. They
should be removed at once, and the
young trees which are growing up
around them should thus be given a
chance to obtain sunshine and plant
rood which they need for rapid de-
velopment.
A good method in the manage
ment of timber-lots, is to cut out
crooked and defective trees, even
though they are small. In their
growth these poor specimens use
materials which if secured by better
trees, would prove valuable. The
survival of the fittest" should not
be left to slow operations of nature,
but should be secured by the prompt
action of the owner Of the land.
Except for special purposes, where
such a course seems necessary, trees
should not be cut until they are full
ly deyeloned. or have reached that