The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1916-11-11
Making Maryland
WoodIots Pay
State Forester Gives Plan For I'M
proving Woodlands and Selling
Forest Products.

For some time the State Forester
of Maryland has co-operated with
local owners in devising and executing
plan for not only conserving the
forest resources of their lands and
farms but doing so with profit No
thing, forestry included, can long be
practiced at loss, and recognizing
this, a plan was made and offered to
the people of the State which met not
only the needs of the woodland, but
the financial needs of the owner also.
An instance will explain.
The holder of hundred-acre tract
of timber less than ten miles from
Baltimore City requested the Forester,
late last winter, to make a prelimin-
airy examination of the land in ques-
ton with an eye to laying out some
practical plans of improvement. The
examination was made, and a plan
prepared for the handling of the
woodlands. This plan was adopted
by the owner and in March an Assist
ant Forester from the Board of For
estry went over the tract, marking
the trees to be cut, estimating values
and carrying out in detail the work
recommended. The timber was, as a
whole. mature, and intermingled with
it was considerable growth of other
species with little present. and no flu
ture, value. This latter included some
little scrubby pine, gum, maple ana
the like; in brief, tweed trees" which
needed to be thoroughly removed to
give the room to the other better trees
then needed for their best development
and growth.
Among the better species, also,
some cutting was indicated, this being
done by blaze upon the trunk of the
tree, several feet above the ground,
and another. stamped with the letter
IN" farther down. near the stump,
where it would be left after the tree
was cut to show that only marked
trees had been removed by the pur-
chaser. The work was done by the
Forester, to estimate, tally and indi-
cate the trees to be marked; and two
assistants, who had to mark and mea-
sure them. Young, thrifty trees of the
better kinds were left to perpetuate
the stand, and the mature specimens
were removed. together with those
over mature defective, diseased, or
undesirable in any way. Several large
seed-trees were also left per acre.
The work was done little faster
than 30 acres per day. and the total
cost to the owner. for his 100 acres of
timber, was $40. This included all OF
the field work. and that only, as the
data is worked out in the Forester's
office at no additional cost. The esti-
mated value of the standing timber
was $1,772.04, and bids were solicited
from lumbermen of the vicinity. To
aid in this, Autographed statements
of the timber for sale were furnished
to the owner, together with a list OF
lumber dealers to whom they should
be sent. The timber was sold almost
Immediately. and cutting started with
the beginning of summer. The price
secured was $1,000, which was slight
~ above the estimated value, enough
to more than cover the entire cost OF
the workshop 1t would seem that
there was considerable clear profit.
When the work is done, a young,
growing forest will be left, and an
other tract of timber of valuable char
acter will in a comparatively short
time succeed that removal. Such
work pays-pays in timber. pays in
the future of the forest, pays in pres
ent revenue. 1t is work available to
all in Maryland. and the State Fores
ter, at 532 North Howard street, Bal
timore. is prepared with corps of
trained Foresters to give prompt as
slstance.