Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-06-04
Practical Forestry For The Pro-
gressive Farmer.

There are scattered over the State O
Maryland 1,475,000 acres of forest lane
included in woodlots, which constitute In
certain sections a most important portion
of the farm itself. In the aggregate the
, farm woodlot in Maryland represents ex,
actly "a per cent. of the States entire
/ wooded area, an average OF 80 acres to
every farm. Any methods of Statewide
forest management which fail to properly
consider the woodland owned by farmers
in plans for protection, better MANAGE
ment and care must, in Maryland at least,
fall far short of the results desired APP
preciating this, the State Board of Forestry,
since its organization eight years ago. has
been attempting in various ways to get
more closely in touch with local land
owners. with the objects Of improving their
present stands of timber, the planning
and laying out Of new ones, and the dis
pOsal of the wood or lumber which the
farmers have from time to time to put
upon the market.
Upon application from any owner Of wood
land in this State. the State Forester or an
assistant will 90 over the ground carefully
with the owner or his representative, de-
vising plan of management which is there
discussed and later submitted in full as
written report. For this there is no charge
other than the travelling expenses of the
forester, During the last half year there
have been examined in this way Ito
acres Of forest land; woodlot improvement
work and timber marking have already
been completed on 791 acres of this. Re-
suits have justified the very slight expense
involved.
On the 9th and 10th Of last November
an assistant from the State Forester Office
visited a 60-acre tract of woodland which
forms part of large farm near Leicester,
Howard county, and with three helpers
estimated. tailed and marked all the ripe,
over-mature and diseased trees. as well
as those of worthless species which were
growing there. Such improvement work
was required If this farmers woodlot were
to be placed on producing and better
paying basis. The helpers were furnished
for this job by the State Forester at cost
of $500 per day and expenses. $500 and
expenses being the rate for the Assistant
Forester in charge. and as all were thor
nudhlU aynarianaob in Tho x.,orL IL ,.,ao
possible to make excellent progress.
The total expense to the owner was
$l4.37 and represented the cost Of labor,
travel and subsistence for the men en-
ployed, small sum to pay for the i'm
provement and protection of wood and
timber worth several thousand dollars.
The go acres were covered in two days,
and 2.336 trees were marked for cutting
the total amount of timber 80 marked and
estimated giving total of 900 board
feet and n considerable quantity Of cord
wood, The data collected in the field was
later worked up at no expense to the owner
in the Office of the Forester. the informa-
ton furnished him. including list of his
marked trees by species and inch diameter
classes, with the amount Of saw timber
and other forest products and their market
value. From this a brief statement was
prepared covering the location, kinds and
amount of timber offered for sale at Ilches-
ter. and this sent out for the purpose of
oanurir.d htIa IN 4. Lat IF h,,,, H.,
the same locality. In the Office Of the
Forester there Is a constantly revised list
Of the sawmill and timber men Of each
county there being listed for example. in
this section of the State II such operators
in Howard county, 80 in Montgomery. and
go in Frederick.
Since the trees for sale are plainly mark
ed, these prospective purchasers will have
every opportunity TO see exactly what Is
offered them; the owner himself is also In
q position to deal intelligently with the
buyer. The State Forester will furnish the
owner with form of contract suitable for
covering such an operation in manner
that will best insure the protection Of the
young growth and prevent any unneces-
sary damage. being fair to the buyer and
protecting the owner from the removal of
any but marked trees. When this opera
ton has been carried out the woodland
will be in fit condition to produce another
crop. II its owner had not been thoroughly
convinced Of the practical cash value Of
the State Forester's corporation, the same
tract Of timber might have been cut clear
at actually less profit to him. and being so
cut. without marking. without estimating
and without restriction. there would have
been nothing left to produce another and
a better crop. This forms single instance
OF assistance which is offered every farmer
Of the State. The work is inexpensive.
and the raauIta are dnnd