The Brunswick daily news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1903-1906, 1903-05-17
Forestry For PRACTICAL Farmers.

| After a wood lot Is cut off, 1t is then
left to make of itself whatever it can.
The result Is oftentimes disastrous,
usually poor and sometimes fair, but
whether cut either by the sawmill or
| simply culled out by the owner as he
needs wood supplies, it Is very rarely
| that the lot comes anywhere near do
| ing what it might do with care and
| protection. There are a few steps
which might be taken to improve this
wood lot.
Try to give the property better pro-
| lection from fire. Avoid as much as
possible all fire-tempters, such as piles
Of brush left from numbering. With
proper care these can be safely burned
at certain seasons SO as not to furnish
food for n larger uncomfortable confa-
grafton. And if the property adjoins
other wood lands; keep d Harrow strip
next those properties cut clear of all
woody growth. Such fire lanes may be
used to cut up your property into sec
lions If your tract is large, so as to
prevent accidental fires from gaining
much Roadway. The fire lanes should
be burned over under care once year,
so as to prevent the accumulation of in
flammable material. In many sections
they can be easily kept open by plow-
ing.
Practice thinning out of even the
valuable trees when they are crowd
ing one another injuriOusly. Experience
can only determine how much this is
to be done under any given set of
conditions. AS a general principle,
go slow. Remember that a tree lays
on wood largely in proportion to the
amount of light it receives. Cutting
out one tree will thus give another
more chance. But if the openings are
made too large. the sun gets at the soil
unduly and causes loss In that most
important of factors in the growth of
a forest-moist0re. If the openings
are too large 1t also means that the for.
est is more exposed to the uprooting
power of the wind, I also that light
is being lost which mseht be utilized in
the production of wood. The tree
should be kept me& crowded when
young, to induce good height growth
| instead of lateral development and to
free the lower part of the trunks from
branches. each of which means knot
in the lumber. An excellent sign that
you have thinned too severely is the
appearance of such grasses and weeds
as need considerable light for their de-
velopmeht.
Harvest carefully. When tree Is
ripe for the purpose for which you
want 1t, cut it. But in doing so have
some regard to the younger trees
around it which are to take its place,
and save them as much as possible.
More or less of the young growth is
bound to be killed or injured. but much
can be done by skill and injury>to re-
duce this injury to minimum.
Keep Il wind mantle around the piece,
that is, narrow strip where the trees
are left standing very close together.
This is of great benefit in preventing
the drying out of the soil by the wind.
The moisture conditions of the soil
are more important to forest growth
than its chemical makeup.
Use some care in cutting the trees
from the stumps of which vigorous
sprouts are wanted. make a smooth
cut. so that the bark is not torn from
the wood and the formation of the
Sprout thus injured. Slant the cut
downward so that water will not COL
iect so rapidly and decay be thus
furthered. Cut low. so that the sprout
may send down roots of its own into
the soil If there are certain trees
from which you do not wish sprouts.
cut the trees in summer, when the
stumps will be more apt TO dry.-Wal-
ter Milford, in American Agricul-
turlSt. ,s-.-- -..ASAss.. --:-,