The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-01-25
Work in the Wood Lot.

A wood lot that will furnish plenty
of fuel for home use, and where there
is sufficient growing timber for the
lumber that will be needed for repairs
or the erection of new buildings, is a
valuable part of the farm and should
be highly priced and judiciously cared
for by the owner
1t does not require a very large area
of thrifty woodland to afford a plenti-
full supply for the household. BY care
ful management there should be a suf-
ficient amount afforded each year with
out detracting from the value of the
lot, as there will usually be trees that
are past their maturity or dead and
that should be removed, to give place
to young and thrifty growth that will
soon make its appearance.
1t will require little more work and
care to move these separate trees aad
not injure the other than if the trees
were to be taken clean, but it will fully
pay for the extra work required.
In all old wood lots there will be
large trees that have long ago attained
their growth and maturity and would
better be removed. They may be huge,
unwieldly and difficult to reduce to
the proper size for the stove or furn-
ace, but as this work is now largely
done by the use of power-saws, there
will be little difficulty in the matter,
and one of these trees will make a
large amount of the best kind of fuel,
solid and lasting. Some farmers have
their fuel sawed and, at least, partly
split in the woods, and this saves some
work and makes it easier handling the
wood in drawing. Occasionally it may
be better to cut off all but the small
trees from a portion of the wood lot,
and allow a new growth to take its
place. Where stock is kept off these
denuded places the young growth will
start up thriftily and soon present
very flourishing appearance.
The time for cutting, drawing and
selling wood by the cord, which was at
one time largely practiced in some
parts Of our state has gone by. There
was a great destruction Of the forests
and the winter season witnessed much
activity in this business. Too much
of it was done and now, in consequence
action is being taken for the preserva-
tion of the woodlands as a most val.
liable part of the farm property.
Before there is much snow is a good
time to select the timber for the pur-
pose, as well as to cut and prepare it
for drawing in logs or to reduce to fire
wood on the ground TO make a job
complete the brush should be piled or
otherwise disposed Of. A clean, well.
cared for wood-lot or forest area is
pleasant to look upon and credit to
the owner.
The writer occasionally passes field
by the roadside where there is an ex-
tensive addition to a sugar orchard
made by the setting out of a large num-
Der of young naples by the owner. 1t
is on common pasture land and the
trees we're placed in fairly regular Or
der They seem to have done very
well since, are in a thrifty condition,
and there were only few failures, less
than would have been supposed in a
field where cattle are pastured. Some
lime these trees will make a fine ad-
iition to the adjoining sugar orchard
| think this is the first and only in
stance of the kind that has come un-
der my observation, but if it will prove
successful in this case then 1t may
be in others, and perhaps by its aid
some unproductive land may be put
to a good use.-E. r. Towle, In The
Massachusetts, Ploughman.