Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-12-27
FOR WOODLOT OWNERS.
Good Things to Avoid in Using the
Home Supply of Wood.


There is right way to do everything,
and the care of the woodlot is not an ex-
ception to the rule. The right way, more
over, is often quite simple, the good re-
suits which follow being out of all pro-
portion to the time or labor expended.
Too many woodlots are simply neglected,
and by far the greater number of them are
misused for want of foresight or a true
appreciation of their value.
The first principles OF right woodlot
forestry may be summarized in brief list
of Don'ts, by which every woodlot owner
may profit with very little trouble.
Don't dis ,ose OF yoar woodlot. You
need It for your own use. 1t can be made
to give you fuel, posts poles, fence rails,
even such timber, boards and shingles as
will keep the farmstesd and barns in re-
value for home supply will increase year
by year. While you use it, it will renew
itself, and the price of its products are
certainly not decreasing. ..
Don't turn your woodlot into pasture.
Tree seedlings are quickly bruised and
crushed by the trampling of live stock
Hungry cattle browse upon them. The
soil becomes packed hard and unable to
retain moisture SO much needed for the
encouragement of young growth.
Don't thin your woodlot too. heavily.
If you do, large openings are made
through which the sunlight streams in
drying the soil and encouraging the
growth of grass, which should never be
suffered to replace the spongy humus that
forms the natural top layer of soil in a
healthy forest. A crown canopy, formed
by the leaves and branches, should always
shade the forest floor. Too much light
encourages the formation of branching,
short stemmed trees.
Don't burn over the woodlot. 1t has
been pointed out that the woodlot is not
fit for pasturage purposes, but even if it
were, the burning over of the soil would
still do irreparable damage to- young
growth, consume the litter which ought
to rot into humus, and destroy the very
conditions which nature seeks to establ
and preserve.
Don't select only the best trees in a
woodlot which needs wedding. Nearly
every woodlot is composed of a mixed
stand in which dead and unsound trees,
! weed trees and sound, use full trees are
intermingled. If you select and remove
only the choicest living trees, the stand
will grow poorer instead of better, and in
| time will become almost worthless. An
improvement cutting, which, even at a
little cost, removes the weed trees and
those which are dead, crooked, or other
wise of little worth, will give the remain
/ ing stand clear start. The woodlot
quickly responds to such treatment, i'm
proving vigorously under the new con-
ditions. The larger yield of better quality
in due time more than repays the labor.
Don't forget reproduction. In thinning
your woodlot, have an eye to the young
growth. Spare it.as much as you can in
telling and hauling the logs. Give the
seedlings the chance, and they will seize
it and grow into saplings and poles. Sap
lings and poles are already valuable, and q
little later still are themselves grown trees
| Don't do all your cutting in one spot
just because it is trifle more convenient