Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1915-06-26
THE VALUE OF
WOOD LOT IS
NOT REALIZED

Most farmers already own wood
lots: every farmer ought to own one
Yet the wood lot is frequently not a
paying proposition financially, and is
almost never as profitable as it should
be. Why? Simply because the farm
er does not realize its true value. AS
result he neglects to care for the
trees during their life, and is at dis
advantage when it comes to selling
them. Any effort to improve present
conditions must, therefore, take these
two facts into consideration.
The essential point for every farm
err to recognize, is that the trees in
his wood lot are just as much farm
crop as are his corn, oats, hay or 9TH
er products. Moreover, they have
many advantages over other crops
they require comparatively little care
and labor; they can be harvested dur
ing the winter when other work is
on the crop because trees can be left
standing without deterioration an in
definite time until they can be sold
profitably or used to advantage on the
farms: and they furnish protection to
buildings, to cattle, and to crops, from
wind, drought and frost.
PROFESSIONALLY, then, the wood lot
deserves better than the present neg
lect, or often worse, to which it is
now subjected No farmer would think
for moment of burning over a crop
of young wheat. Yet that is just what
many do with their crop of young
trees. Nor is the damage confined to
the young growth; even the larger
trees, thogh seldom destroyed out
right, are weakened so that eventually
they will fall prey to insects, fungi
or wind; furthermore, the fertility of
the soil is greatly lessened by fires.
Every fire that runs through wood
lot is direct source of loss to the
owner. The absolute exclusion of fire
is, therefore, the first and most inn
portant step in the rational manage
ment of the wood lot.
Closely connected with this is the
exclusion of stock, which do much
damage in destroying and retarding
young growth, particularly of broad
leaf trees, and in packing down the
soil and exposing the roots of trees.
Finally, the farmer should select the
trees to be cut in such way as to
improve rather than impair the wood
let. Too often the reverse has been
the case and the wood lot has de-
Perforated steadily through the re-
moval of the best trees, leaving the
less valuable species and poorer ind-
viluals to take possession of the
ground. No knowledge of technical
forestry is necessary to enable the
farmer to recognize the trees which
are defective, crooked, unusually
branchy, or of undesirable species; or
to realize that the cutting of these
for fuel and other uses to which they
can be put on the farm will greatly in
crease the value of the remaining
stand.
Equally important with the raising
of the crop is its final disposal. Every
farmer knows what his wheat is worth
and what is the best way to sell it.
Very few have any similar knowledge
regarding their trees In that fact lies
the real explanation of the present un-
profitableness of the wood lot. So
long as the average owner knows less
concerning the value of the timber
than any other crop on his farm, he
cannot hope to sell it at its true value.
What kind of products (posts, poles,
ties, mine timbers, lumber, etc., are
in greatest demand in the locality ?
What sp, cies of trees are best adapted
for each? In what sizes should the
material be cut? By what unit of
measure cord, lineal foot, board foot,
piece, etc., should they be sold? What
price should they bring on the basis
| of their value to the purchaser?
These are samples of the questions
that every farmer should be able to
answer to his own satisfaction before
attempting to dispose of his wood lot
products. Even then he may be at
a disadvantage when dealing singly
with a purchaser who is more expe-
rienced in such matters and may have
more or less control over the local
market, Cooperation among wood lot
owners in the disposal of their timber
is consequntly as necessary as in the
disposal of their fruit, vegetables, or
grains, and is frequently the only way
in which they can secure it full value,
Above all, the secret of success in
handling the wood lot, lies in the rec
ignition of the fact that trees are a
distinctive farm crop. When this is
once thoroughly understood and the