The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-11-09
AGRICULTURE.
Forestry on Mining lands.
COOPERATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT
SHARED IN BY A WEST VIRGINIA CON-
PAHY AND THE FOREST SERVICE.

One Of the forest tracts which are now
being managed under working plans pre-
pared by the U. 8 Forest Service 10 situat-
ed 10 southwestern West Virginia. About
"a 900 acres In the heart Of the soft-coal
region, and Consisting Of mixed hardwoods,
form the basi, Of the plan. The owners,
! Who are chiefly Interested In mining, ak
ed the assistApce Of the Forest Service,
which WAS given In accordance with Ito CO.
operative plan. They saw that the intro
ductlon Of forestry would enable them to
convert the Idle forest land Into profit, and
10 increase the income from their holdings.
Since the local logging methods are 20
careless, and since grazing and nre have
wrought 30 much damage In the region,
Il Is rarely that the second crops can be 60
cured after once the virgin timber has been
removed. The plight Of cut-over lands In
southwestern West Virginia, generally. en-
forces the truth OF this.
In applying for the help Of the Fores,
Service the owners had two main objects
in view. They wished to handle their
lands 80 ~ to obtain continued supplies Of
timber sufficient Tor the present AMI future
needs Of the town and the mines, and, In
addition to this, to have surplus Of valua
BILE timber such - yellow poplar or white
oak, to be cut and marketed from time ia
time.
The study Of the tract on which the plan
10 based revealed conditions common In The
region. and the recommended which
were made BY the Forest Service and
which are being carried out BY tho owners
apply In general way to number Of sim.
liar forest problems. Some account Of the
data secured bv the study and Of the advice
to which they led would be Of profit to
owners who have similar problems To deal
with.
Fires, everywhere the chief menance to
forests, have bean especially destructive In
this locality. Spring and fall are the dan.
gerous seasons, April, Nay, October, and
November being the months when most
ORES break out These nres feed on the dry
leaves, consume underbrush, and kill
young growth, soaring the butts Of the
larger trees. Sentiment toward thsse nres
10 Indifferent. The only source Of dread In
regard to them 10 the possible risk TO some
farm fence. Fires are sometimes intention.
ally kindled. Scarcely spot can b found
In the entire tract which has escaped nre,
and the ridges, where the least moisture
occurs. have suffered gravely.
Repeated Ares, even Will they arc indt.
vidually unimportant, do much more havoc
than II realised BY the unIpitisted. Burn
Ing leaves which should protect the ground,
they leave the coil exposed, TO DO eroded
BY the rains and dried and hardened BY the
sun and winds. Unprecedented Of the
soil necessarily follows, and, with II, deter.
iorstion 10 the character and growth Of the
timber. On spots which are repeatedly
burned over II 10 impossible to obtain 70.
production from seeds, since the ssds are
burned before they can germipate, or, II
the seeds etcape, the seedlings are killed
By the next Ore. The roots Of seedlings
and saplings, persisting after ores, repro
dece themselves By sprouts, 20 that little
By little the entire stand IL changed to
sprout growth. Another tdrct Of 6re IL
the Injury dors 70 larger trees. Attacked
By Ore after nre, these trees are often re,
duced 10 thin, hollow shell at the bass.
Al nrst. onl. = slight wound b cansed, but
Ills becomes enlarged until naalIy the butt
log IL worthless Tor lumber. Such . Tree
must be butted when cut, with much Ioss
VI msrcbantAble contents
Grazing has been carried on ever sIpc.
tbs early settlement Of the region. Cattle,
horses, muIes, sheep, and hogs we're Ill
found on the usc', cattle in the greatest
lumber. Cattle and sheep have been the
most Injurious. The bad fleets u over.
grazing are chhny Injury 10 tbs coll, 70 Tie
ssedlings, Ad TO the Young trses small
enough 70 be reached BY the cattle, Ac.
oording to lie composition, The soil 10 either
packed hard Or pulv.nzvd BY toe feet Of
The grazing animals. The seedlings anc
young Gplings can never develop haiti
fal growth 20 long ~ their leaves and ten
der shoots are again and agaia browsed
Occasionally, where longing has Jest beer
done, grazing helps to expose the soil, and
% may encourage The organization Of sesd
bat - soon - seedlings appear srszlsG o.
numbered srsas becomes sxcssdis&ly harm
ful.