The midland journal., 1916-11-17
MAKING MARYLAND WOODLOTs
PAY.
State Forester Gives Plan for Inn
proving Woodlands and Selling
Forest Products.

Il
For some time the State Forester
of Maryland has co-operated with
local owners in devising and execut-
ing a plan for not only conserving
the forest resources of their lands
and farms but doing so with a profit.
Nothing, forestry included, can long
be practiced at a loss, and recogniz-
ing this, 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 Fores-'
ter, late last winter, to make pre-
liminary examination of the land in
question with an eye to laying out
some practical plans of improvement.
The examination was made, and
plan prepared for the handling of
the woodlands. This plan was adopt
by the owner and in March an As
sistant Forester from the Board Of
Forestry went over the tract, mark
ing the trees to be cut, estimating
values and carrying out in detail the
work recommended. The timber
was, as whole, mature, and inter-
mingled with it was considerable
growth of other species with little
present, and no future, value. This
latter included some little scrubby
pine, gum, maple and the like; in
brief, "weed 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 "M" 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 purchaser. The work was
done by the Forester; to estimate,
tally, and indicate the trees to be
marked; and two assistants, who had
to mark and measure them Young,
thrifty, trees of the better kinds were
left to perptuate the stand, and the
mature specimens were removed, to-
gether with those over-mature de-
fective, diseased, or undesirable in
any way. Several large seed-trees
were also left per acre.
The work was done little faster
than 35 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 estimated value of the standing
timber was $1,772.04, and bids were
solicited from lumbermen of the
graphed statements of the timber for
sale were furnished to the owner, to-
gether with list of lumber dealers
20 whom they should 0e sent. The
timber was sold almost Immediately
and cutting started with the begin
ming of summer. The price secured
was $1,000, which was slightly above
the estimated value, enough to more
than cover the entire cost of the
work-$20. 1t would seem that
there was considerable clear profit.
When the work is done, young,
growing forest will be left, and
another tract of timber of valuable
character will in comparatively
short time succeed that removed.
Such work pays in timber, pays in
the future of the forest, pays in
present revenue. 1t is work avail
able to all in Maryland, and the State
Forester, at 532 North Howard St.,
Baltimore. is prepared with corps
of trained Foresters to give prompt