Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-12-25

of dread in regard to them is the pos
sibe risk to some farm fence. Fires
are sometimes Intentionally kindlej.
Scarcely a spot can be found in the
entire tract which has escaped fire,
and the ridges, where the Feast moist
ure occurs, have suffered gravely.
Repeated fires even when they are
individually unimportant, do much
more havoc than is realized by the I'M
initiated. Burning leaves which
should protect the ground. they leave
the soil exposed, to be eroded by the
rains and dried and hardened by the
sun and winds. Impoverishment of
| the soil necessarily follows, and, with
| it, deterioration in the character and
growth of the timber. On spots
which are repeatedly burned over II
is impossible to obtain reproduction
from seeds, since the seeds are burned
before they can terminate, or, if the
| seeds escape, the seedlings are kille%
| by the next fire. The roots of seedl-
ings and saplings, persisting after
fires, reproduce themselves by sprouts,
so that little by little the entire stand
| is changed to sprout growth. Another
effect of fire is the injury done to
larger trees. Attacked by fire after
fire, these trees are often reduced to a
thin, hollow shell at the base AT
first only a slight wound is caused,
but this becomes enlarged until
finally the butt log is worthless for
lumber. Such tree must be butted
when cut, with much loss of mer-
charitable contents.
Grazing has been carried On ever
since the early settlement of the
region. Cattle, horses, mules, sheep,
and hogs were all found on the tract,
cattle in the greatest number. Cattle
and sheep have been the most in
furious. The bad effects of over
grazing are chiefly injury to the soil,
to be seedlings, and to young trees
small enough to be reached by the
cattle. According to it's composition,
the soil is either packed hard or pull
verified by the feet of the grazing ami
mails The seedlings and young
saplings can never develop healthful
growth so long as their leaves and
tender shoots are again and again
browsed. Occasionally where log
ging has just been done, grazing
helps to expose the. soil, AMI SO may
encourage the termination of seed,
but as soon as seedlings appear graz
ing on numbered areas becomes eX-
ceedingly harmful.
Perpetuation of the forest naturally
depends first and foremost upon its
ability to reproduce itself In order
that it may do so, the trees which
die and those which are cut must be
replaced by young ones And since
young trees are exposed to many dan
gers, many more young trees must
start to grow than are needd in the
mature forest which is to replace the
older one In making plan for the
management of tne forest, therefore,
it must be determined whether or not
sufficient number of seedlings and
young trees are present to replace the
old trees when they are removed.
Apart from the ridges and slopes OF
|
peatedly burned over that seeding re-
production has become impossible, it
was found that if fire could be stop
ped reproduction would be abundant
| in the forest.
The recommendations based upon
| the study of the tract deal with the
solution of the following problems:
1. Protection of the forest from
fires sae
2. Restriction of grazing to clear
ings and land not recently numbered
8. Obtaining satisfactory Seeding
reproduction of the more valuable
timber trees.
4. Removal from the forest Of In
ferior species at a profit, or, in other
words, the utilization of lowgrade
timber.
5. Modification Of present logging
practices, for the purpose or reducing
waste in felled trees and of leaving
the forest in improved condition.
Two types of forest were disting-
uished, the mixed hardwood type and
the chestnut-oak type, and the recon-
mendations indicate how each should
be handled in the logging and what re-
turns each may be expected to yield
under the plan. Tables compiled from
exact measurements Of the trees
show the present yield or stock on
hand in the forest, the rate of growth,
and, finally, the period in which the
cut-over land will again be stocked
with timber trees of merchantable
size. Rules for the marking and cut
ting of trees, for the sparing OF
young growth, for the regulation OF
grazing, and for the prevention OF fire
complete the recommendations.
FEAR FOR MISSIONARIES