The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-02-19
What State forestry can do for
local timber owners.

In addition to encouraging the re-
clamation of lands within the State
through planting forest trees, the State
Board of Forestry is, in great number
of cases, cooperating with timber
owners for the improvement of their for
est lands Where this is done the tim
Der which is ready for the axe is sold
at a fair price. the logging operations
are conducted in such way that the
removal of the trees which are mature
is not injurious to the younger trees
that are left, and the whole stand is
put in better. producing condition
than ever Before Emphasis can best
be given this, and the work itself ex-
planned, by citing case in point.
In May, 1914, the State Forester at
Baltimore was visited by a gentleman
owping $50 acres Of wooded land in
Anne Arundel County. 1t was an old
stand of mixed hardwoods. The chest
nut was being rapidly killed by the
blight. large part of the trees of
other species were becoming over-ma-
ture, and the stand as whole much in
need of an improvement cutting. APP
preciating this, the owner was con-
sidering the sale of his merchantable
trees, for which he had already receiv-
ed what he considered fair offer
Before selling, however, he wished to
have the opinion of a skilled Forester on
the .advisabflity of cutting over the
tract. The State Forester accordingly
went over the land with him, and it
was pointed out that for very small
sum this timber might be thoroughly
covered by expert Foresers, the defec-
tive, diseased, and mature trees marked
for removal, and a correct estimate Sc
cured as to the amount and value of
the timber to be taken out.
This the owner agreed to have done,
and party of three men was sent from
the Foresters Office to do the work
In this connection it may be added that
men with special training are furnished
to local landowners at cost of 81 per
dav, the man in charge So, liz addition
to travelling expenses and maintenance
during the duration of the job. The
property in question, $50 acres, was
completely gone over in six days time
The mature trees calipered, tailed and
marked. One blaze, about four feet
above the ground, clearly indicated the
marked trees, while the other, as near
the ground as possible and bearing a
stamped letter en-" served as check,
making sure that only trees so marked
were cut.
The total expense to the owner was
$55 81, for the results Of field WORK are
in the office at Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity, Baltimore. This was done, and a
map of the whole. tract made. The es-
innate of the trees marked was mimeo-
graphed, and this statement, showing
the location of the tract with kinds and
amount of timber, was sent out from
the State Forester's Office to several
hu n bred sawmill men in the same To-
cality, who would be most likely to
take an interest in the purchase Of the
wood and timber.
Four months from the time the pre-.
liminary examination was made. and
three after the marking had actually
been done, the timber had been s0ld
It was sold for more than three times
the amount originally offered. and with
the purchase the buyer gave written
guarantee that in the removal of the old
timber every reasonable precautioo
would be used for the protection, of the
young.
Such work, an object lesson in good
management and economy, is of value
to the community; it is of substantial
and lasting Improvement to the forest;
and the financial profit to the owner is
not the least of the benefits derived
The State Board of Forestry since
then has been engaged in many similar
undertakings, and the work has been
highly advantageous to the owners.
1t is in position to take up additional
work of this nature, and is prepared to
extend real assistance by experts to
Maryland woodland owners in the i'm
proving, marketing, and handling Of
their timber.