Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-09-08
OPPORTUNITY FOR WOOD.
LOT OWNERS.
The Bureau Of Forestry studies Chest.
nut in ,;arylnnd-1IOw It's Growth
Mny he Improved.

Throughout the Northeastern States
| from Massachusetts to Maryland, and
as far West as Indiana chestnut holds
an important place as timber tree.
Commercially, it is chiefly in demand tor
ties. telegraph and telephone poles, and
posts. for all of which purposes. we'll
as for some constructional uses, 1t is cs-
pccially adapted by it's peculiar power to
resist decay in contact with the soil, 1t
is also largely used for fuel and general
farm purposes In Maryland alone. ac-
cording to the 18th census its annual
market yield of lumber. railroad ties, and
telegraph and telephone poles amounts to
over slono0o, besides large supplies Of
material for local consumption
| It happens that chestnut is especially
fitted for management in farmers wood
lots Before scientific forestry began to
be heard of in the United States. and
whom forest preservation was not I'M
commonly talked about as Il sentimental
| fad. the thrifty owners of the small
tracts OF woodland which cover so much
Of southern New England, New York,
Pennsylvania and neighborng States had
long been cutting Successive Crops of the
hardwoods which sprout rapidly from the
stump, thus practicing more or less
rndely what the forest calls the pure
coppice' method of management. The
superior market for chestnut combined
with its rapid growth, gave it, on the
whole, the leading place in the esteem
of these wood-ot owners. who by winter
cutting were able to turn to good account
time for which farm occupations gave
no other employment.
The result of Il study recently con-
Iductcd and soon to be published by the
bureau of forestry show StrkinGly the
ADVANTAGES of chestnut for this kind of
management, and at the same time sus-
cest some very practical conclusions con-
corning how the methods now in vogue
may he improved. Like other trees
which reproduce by sprouting chestnut
loses its VigOr when the root system be-
come too old Trees grow from seed
increase both in height and bulk, more
SLOWLY for many years than those grown
as sprouts from the stumps. But by the
time the trees are from 50 to 100 years
old the Seeding trees will catch up. and
eventually reach a larger size than the
others For ordinary uses. however.
chestnut is cut long before this age is
reached. and coppicing is therefore The
hest Wy To raise it, But unless new seed
ling srowth starts in the forest along
with the sprOut growth. the declining
viror of the old root systems will result
lin smaller and smaller production until
lonlv a sicklv stand of inferior timber is
lori ~ draw ON
chestnut tends to produce seed album
idar.Iv and if thn nuts wore left to sow
themselves the forest would take care
of itself very we'll But crows and SOUR
rols and other animals levy a heavy ,oIl.
var moro fornidonIc however in we'll
settled regions are the gatherers of nuts
for tha marriott With chestnuts selling
l,t an average of so.50 a hushel. there is
u rroriup, an tho soed cron which makes
pronasntion of the tree through this
meme , ,,,ottar az dubious chance when
In addition tho hogs arc pcrnittcd to
ranre the woods for mast and cattle
ia hroweo MO tender shoots as they rise
from tho oround tho nrospoct of seed
linz groxvth is small indeed
CHESTNUT is not oxuctinr IN its soil re-
ouir-r,onts It's roots sproad compara-
tiv,Iv doen so that il is NOT 50 sensitive
to nre or h,,n,us destruction from any
cans, ne most snecies lis sprouts grow
so tnyt mat , hoipht of seven or oirht
foot ot the end of the first season is not
urCon,,,nn and its stiulns are 50 vic.
oroue thnt onr will often produce 40 tc
20 snrnute M, mora than one in eight
or ION Of thren Win mature Int by So.
Iectin,, tho most nrnmisinr the fun vigo,
: of mo nnrnnt e,,n,n may I've concentrated
ON thom to ,hn great inprovcment %,
} made bv the bureau have proved that low