Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-02-24
FOR wooDLoT OWNERS.
Good Things to Avoid In Using the
Home supply OF Wood on the
Farm

There Is a right way 70 do every
thing, and the care OF the woodiot 10
not an exception 10 the rule. says Q
bulletin OF the Forest Service OF the
UEited States agricultural department
The right way. moreover. - often quite
simple, the good results which follow
being out OF all proportion 10 the time
or labor expended. Too many woodIots
are simply neglected, and by far the
greater number OF them are misussd
Tor want OF foresight or q true appre-
citation OF their value.
The first principles OF right woodlot
forestry may be summarized IN a brief
list OF DOn'ts. by which every woodlot|
owner may profit with very little trou-
BILE.
Don't dispose Of your woodlot You
need Il for your own use. Il can be
made 70 give you fuel, posts. poles.
fence rails, even such timber. boards
and shingles as viii 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 tramplinE
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. II has
been pointed out that the woOdlOt Ia
not ut for pasture purposes, but even
II IL were, the burning over OF the soil
would still do irreparable damage 20
young growth. consume the litter
which ought 20 rot into humus and
destroy the very conditions which ma
ture seeks 90 establish and preserve
Don't select only the best Trees ~
EOOdlot which needs wedding Nearly
every woodlot Is composed OF a mixed
stand In which dead and unsound
trees, weed trees and sound, useful
trees are intermingled. II you select
and remove only the choicest living
trees, the stand will grow poorer In,
stead or 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
or little worth, will give the remain
ing stand a clear start.
Don't forget reproduction. In thin-
ming your woodlot. have an eye to the
young growth Spare II as much "a.
you can IN Telling and hauling the
logs. Give the seedlings the chance,
and they will seize IL and grow into
saplings and poles.
Don't do all your cutAing In one spot,
Just because IL is tribe more oonven-
lent TO do so. By taking a tree here
and there, where Il 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 carelsssness OF other
persons do the damage to your wood
lot by fire which you refrain from do.
ing yourself A fire IN q neighboring
Geld may creep into your woodlot and
burn over IL. scorehing the trunks OF
the trees or even setting the crowns
ablaze- II is worth while, in the dan
gerous season, TO see that the borders
Of the woodlot are clear OF infammabIe
material Especially GEAR away the
leaves so as to form a miniature fire
lane about the forest. Forbid the care
less use of matches and the building
OF camp fires, and see that your direc-
tons are obeyed
Don't be in too great a lurry 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 a wise proportion to the yield