Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1916-08-11
FARM WOODLOT
ON EVERY FARM
Trees Compared With People :
Each Community Should
Have Young and Old
GUARD AGAINST ANY FIRES
Even on Rich, High-Priced Land Some
Trees Should Be Grown-Poorer
Soils Should Be Made to Produce
Trees in Abundance.

(By W. R. Nation, Forest Examiner.)
The present movement to build up
the farm and make it pay its owner
substantial income necessitates Sc
rious attention to the farm woodlot.
Tillable land, pasture, and woodland
make up three main classes of land to
BE dealt with in the future develop
ment of the farm. A woodlot is that
portion of the farm managed for the
continuous production of timber either
to be used on the farm or for sale, or
both. This includes posts, poles, fire,
wood and common building material.
1t is important here to distinguish
clearly between woodlot and wood
ed pasture. In many regions the
wooded pasture is exclusively thought
of and known as the woodlot. 1t gen.
orally consists of very open stand OF
mature and overmature trees. The
absence of seedlings and larger repro
duction forcibly suggests the condition
of town made up wholly of aged
people Each will become extinct by
the passing away of the present gener.
alton. The woodot should contain
trees of different ages with the young,
er ones we'll represented, Further, it
should be fully stocked with the most
useful kind of trees. The main points
by which to judge the latter are the
intrinsic value of wood for farm uses
and the rate of growth.
Pastured WoodIots Ruined.
Pasturing a woodlot, unless care.
fully controlled, destroys the valuable
protective leaf mulch Of the forest
floor and does great damage to young
seedlings and sapplings. If continued
as a steady practice heavy pasturing
in hardwood stands will inevitably de
stroy the woodlot. The worth of the
forage growing in good woodlot is
very small indeed, since the trees will
be so close-spaced and very little sun
light will reach the ground In we'll
stocked cumberland, where the foliage
is we'll above the reach of animals,
light pasturage under careful regulS
ton may sometimes be allowed, il
necessary, but extreme caution is i'm
perative, if harm is not to be done
and, generally speaking, 1t is best to
keep stock out.
Fires should be rigidly excluded al
all times. A single fire, removing the
protective leaves and litter, may cut
down the subsequent increase of the
timber by as much AS 80 to so per cent
during the next few years.
1t would be well if every farmer
would select and set aside certain
part of the farm as permanent wood.
lot. AS a matter merely Of convent
ence and the saving of time and I'm.
necessary expense in the future, a
woodlot will be needed on practically
every farm. Repair timber is some
times needed on the farm at a time
when trip to town would mean a
costly delay. incidentally smell
amounts of high-grade logs can be
grown, which should bring a good
price. The area to be devoted to the
permanent woodlot will vary usually
from about 10 per cent in regions OF
good soil and high land value to 25 per
cent or more where the soil is less
uniformly fertile and part of the sur.
face steep or rough.