The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-04-03
Growing Timber.


The american Agriculturist ad-
vises landowners to grow the best
kinds of timber 1t costs no more
han ordinary fire wood on most of our
forest lands, and ic will bring three or
tour times as much in the neghboring
market. The time has come when
forest culture should have the careful
thought and attention of every owner
Of woodland within easy reach OF
market We do not believe in the
.arm that is sounding in regard to the
extinction of our woodlands, and
famine of timber. In many parts of
the country, where coal has been intro
iuced, the price of wood for fuel is de
preciated, and forests are increasing
without any effort on the part of the
'wners, except to keep cattle out of
them. Forest trees of twenty years
growth or more, wave over fields once
devoted to moving aud pasture. Old
himney stacks and vacant cellars are
pbscured by the rank growth of oaks,
,ickories and chestnuts, and the under
growth of hazel-nuts, and wild grape
vines. A large variety of trees flour
ish in these forests, some of them ex-
ceedingly valuable for timber, and
others fit only for fuel, and that of
very poor quality. The first step in
he line of Improvement, is to help
1.-The survival of the fittest," by sup
,ressing the less valuable varieties. 1t
'ometimes happens that pi,ch-pine and
ghite-pine are rivals for the possession
# the soil; small trees intermingling
ver large areas, and struggling for
he mastery. If the inferior pines are
cut for fuel, the white-pine will soon
AXE possession of the soil, and make a
much more rapid growth. Some
woodlands are mainly of chestnut,
either seedlings or sprouts after clear
ng, with an inferior growth of birch.
poplar, or other fire-wood. 1t will pay
give the chestnut the whole field
On other soils, shell-bark hickory and
sugar naples take the lead, with a
minor growth of wood fit only for fuel
The clearing out Of the poorer Irts
,ill help the nickories and NAPLES. A
second step IN the improvement will lie
the thinning out Of desirable sort ly
gradual process. A dozen suckers or
more will sometimes start from the
stump of chestnut tree. Some of
them will be dwarfed, and perish in
Tue struggle for the mastery. Others
can be profitably cut for pole, when
wenty feet high, leaving only three or
four 10 grow for railroad timber
There is great advantage in thinning
oaks, hickories, and the more valuable
sorts of wood. The timber increases
in value with the size. Another sort of
Improvement is the planting of seeds,
and transplanting young trees upon
ground only partially stocked The
nut hearing trees, chestnut, hickory,
black walnut and bulternut, and tie
oaks, are more readily grown from the
nut, than from nursery rows. There is
little difficulty in sprouting the seed, if
we follow the natural method OF prop
agation. In any district where these
trees are plenty, yon will find the
young ones coming up along the walls
and fences, where the squirrels have
dropped the nuts in gathering their
winter stores. They have had slight
covering of leaves and leafmould, have
generally sprouted the first season, ard
lone well. The failures are generally
lue to planting dry seed. Plant the
nuts soon after they are gathered, give
them an inch or two of covering, and
you will be successful. There are
hand-books of forest culture that will
give one all the light that is needed to
multiply these trees. Much of the
work in this kind of improvement can
be done in the winter Fencing mate
"ial can be prepared for keeping cattle
'ut of the clearings. The poorer kinds
of wood can be cut and marketed, to
make room for the timber trees. Lum-
ber is valuable crop now, and will in
crease in the future.