Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-12-26
How to Make Your
WoodIot Profitable
Sound Application Of Princi>
pies 70 Forestry Of
Home Trees.

There IL a right way to do every.
thing, and the care Of the woodlot ID
not an exception to the rule. The
right way, moreover. IL often quite
simple. the good results which fol-
low being out Of all proportion to the
time OF labor expended. Too many
woodlots are simply neglected, and
by far the greater number of them
are misused for want Of foresight or
Q true appreciation Of their value.
The first principles Of right wood.
lot forestry may be summarized In q
brief list OF Dont's. by which every
woodlot owner may profit with very
little trouble.
Don't dispose Of your voodlot. You
need It for your own use. It can be
made to give you fuel. posts. poles.
fence rails. ' such timber, boards.
ard shingles 40 wilk keep the farm
stead and barns In repair. With .
little encouragement, its value for.
home supply will increase year BY
year. While you see II, II will renew
itself. md the price Of .its products
are certainly not decreaIfng.
Don't turn your woodlot into .
pasture. Tree seedlings are quickly
bruised and crushed BY the trampling
q live stock. Hungry cattle browse
upon them. The soil becomes packed
hard ana unable to retain moisture 30
much needed for the encouragement
u young growth.
Don't thin your woOdlot too heavily
II You do, large openings are made
through which the sunlight streams
10. drying the soil and encouraging
the growth Of grass. which should
never b suffered 10 replace the
sponsy, humus that forms the natural
top layer Of soil In . healthy forest.
4 crown canopy. formed b. the leaves
and branches. should always shade
the forest floor. Too much light en-.
courages the formation Of branch.
Ing. shOrt-stemmed trees.
Don't burn over the voodlot. It
has been pointed out that tine wood.
lot IL not fit for pasture purposes.
but ' II It we're, the burning over
Of the soil would still do irreparable
damage to young growth, consume
the litter which ought to rot into
and destroy the very condi-
tons which nature seeks to estab:
lish and preserve.
Don't select only the best trees In
woodlot which needs wedding. Near
y every woodlot Is composed Of al
mixed stand in which dead and un.
sound trees, weed trees, and sound,
useful trees are intermingled. II 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. ever at
little cost, removes the weed trees
and those which are dead, crooked,
Dr. otherwise Of little worth, viii give
he remainding stand q clear start.
rhe woodlot quickly responds to such
treatment. improving vigorously un-
Ter the new conditions. The larger
Yield Of better quality in due time
than repays the labor.
Don't forget reproduction. In thin
ring your woodlot, have an eye to
he young growth. Spare 1t as much
is you can in Telling and hauling the
ogs. Give the seedlings the chance,
ind they will seize II and grow into
'aplings and poles. Saplings and
are already valuable, and a
later are themselves grown
rees.
Don't do all your cutting in one
pot, just because II Is a trifle more
onvenient to do so. BY taking a tree
ere and there, where 1t can best be
pared OF Is actually better down,
will secure Just as much wood.
at the same time draw as lightly