River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-02-22
FOR WooDLoT OWNERS.
Good Things to Avoid in Using the
Home Supply of Wood on the
Farm.

There is a right way to do every
thing, and the care of the woodlot is
not an exception to the rule, says a
bulletin of the Forest Service OF the
United States agricultural department.
The right way, moreover, is often quite
simple, the good results which follow
being out of all proportion 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 true appre-
citation 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 trou-
ble
Don't dispose of your 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 farm
stead and barns in repair.
Don't turn your woodlot into pas
ture. Tree seedlings are quickly
bruised and crushed by the trampling
of live stock. Hungry cattle browse
upon them.
Don't thin your woodlot too heavily.
II 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 healthy forest.
Don't burn over the woodlot. 1t has
been pointed out that the woodlot Is
not fit for pasture 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 ma
ture seeks to establish and preserve.
Don't select only the best trees in a
woodlot which needs wedding. Nearly
every woodlot is composed OF mixed
stand in which dead and unsound
trees, weed trees and sound, useful
trees are intermingled. If you select
and remove only the choicest living
trees, the stand will grow poorer in
stead of better, and in time will be-
come almost worthless. An improve
ment cutting which, even at little
cost, removes the weed trees and those
which are dead, crooked or otherwise
of little worth, will give the remain
ing stand clear start.
Don't forget reproduction. In thin
ming 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.
Don't do all your cutting in one spot,
just because it is trifle more conven-
lent to do so. BY taking tree here
and there, where it can best be spared
or is actually better down, you will
secure just as much wood, and at the
same time draw as lightly as possible
on your future supply.
Don't let the carelessness of other.
persons do the damage to your wood
lot by fire which you refrain from do
n
field may creep into your woodlot and
burn over it. scorching the trunks OF
the trees or even setting the crowns
ablaze. 1t is worth while, in the dan
gerous season, to see that the borders
of the woodlot are clear of inflammable
material Especially clear away the
leaves so as to form miniature fire
lane about the forest. Forbid the care
less use of matches and the building
of camp fires, and see that your direc-
lions are obeyed.
Don't be in too great hurry to
realize on your woodlot investment.
Be satisfied with a permanent revenue,
which is the interest of your forest
capital. You may materially increase
this interest by managing the wood
lot itself so that the Trimmings always
bear wise proportion to tho yield