The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-12-27
MARKET ON
THE FOREST CROP
Some Practical Suggestions 10
Farmers and Others.
HOW TO IMPROVE WOODLAND.

Kind OF Soil and VIII Improve the
Land Even if the Crop is OF Slow
Growth.
State Forester Besley, whose ad-
dress is Baltimore, Md, is receiving
numerous inquiries from farmers and
others in regard to cutting and market
| ing mature timber In a recent circular
he says: 1T is a hopeful indication
that our people who own woodlo.s and
/ timber tracts are not in such haste to
/ convert them into cash as was the case
few years ago. This has not been
because of lack of tempting offers,
| for the timber buyer was never so active
in seeking merchantable timber as he is
today. Prices are advancing rapidly
with the increasing demand for railroad
ties, poles, piles and dimension ma
terials, until the owner who has body
of timber that is at all accessible is
eagerly sought by buyers. This activ-
ity of the timber buyer has often
aroused the owner to the fact that he
has something of great value, and that
it will pay him to look into the matter.
This naturally leads him to inquire
how he may get the most out of his
present crop and. how he may best Sc
cure a new growth. In other words,
ne is in position to adopt conservative
forest methods if it can be proven that
it will pay. am satisfied that plan
of management may be devised for
each case individually, that will serve
the purpose Of the owner, both in mar
keting the crop and in securing a new
growth"
Under Legislative Act, Chapter 294,
Acts of 1906 the State Forester is
giving his services freely in this work,
and regards it of great promise to the
forest interests of the State. Those
interested should write to him for cir
cuIars which explain the nature OF this
cooperative work, and tell how they
may secure assistance in improving
their forest lands.
THE farmer who owns a woodlot or
timber lands, and sees the possibilities
of production in these lands, regards
the forest growth as crop, just as he
does his grass or wheat The differ
ence is in the length of time that must
elapse before harvest. In the one he
secures q crop every year, while in the
other he must wait a period of years.
The fact that timber will grow on the
poorest soil of the farm without cult
walton or fertilizer and really enrich the
land, together with the fact that timber
crop requires the expenditure of mini
mum amount of labor, makes it a good
proposition, especially when we consider
the increased difficulty in securing farm
help. The labor required in. tending
and harvesting forest crop is during
the winter when work is slack. BY
giving winter employment, the farmer
will find it easier to keep good men the
year around. Add to this the very rapid
rise Of timber prices, and it would seem
that no farmer can afford to neglect his
woodlands or allow them to become less
productive, by destructive methods of
poor forest management.
In marketing the forest crop there
are several considerations, more or less
at variance with each other, that must
be reconciled. 1t is presumed that the
land owner wishes to hold his forest
lands in forest, and as such, he desires
to make them as productive as possible.
1t IS therefore important that in cutting
over the lands no serious injury be done
to the remaining trees, or growing
stock.
In the first place, the owner wishes to
realize as much money value as posi-
bic out of the crop without seriously
sacrificing the good of the forest.
More or less injury will necessarily be
done in getting out the timber, and in
order that this may not be repeated
often, the yield for the next 10 years
may be anticipated in making the cut
ting a little more severe than the pres
ent conditions would justify. On the
other hand it is desirable to leave GER
tain trees that may have reached mer-
charitable size for the sake of the in
fluence they will exert on the future
growth as seed trees, Or to protect the
ground against the encroachment of
grass and weeds. OF course the mature
timber will come out since it has COM
pleted its growth and is perhaps on the
decline. There are also many trees
that are crooked and scrubby which will !
never make good timber, also the dead |
and diseased. These should be cut out |
even if they bring no more than the
price of cord wood, or even less, since