The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-03-25

nary long handle in his axe-say 7
feet long-to stand on the log, swing
the axe and chop straight. A cross
cut saw of ordinary length would not
reach across the log.
Fire Used to Cut Logs.
In cutting the big logs off in those
days, they did what they termed "nig-
gering them off" That was burning
the logs off by standing small dry
! logs, 10 inches in diameter, against
them on each side of the big log. Then
a fire was built to burn up back of the
short dry pieces and up along the big
log. If the live Goals were rubbed
from the big log every now and then
with hand-spike and the fuel kept
up the flames ate their way faster
across the big log.
Joel Beachy offered my father a
pair of half -soles for his shoes if he
would "nigger off" that big white oak
log on his way to and from school. He
accepted the offer, secured the half
soles and earned a second pair for
"niggering off" the big tree trunk
second time. He was also paid 21a
cents each to do the same with small
er fallen trees in the same field.
The Kendall Lumber Company,
which operated at Crellin, Md, in the
southwestern part of the county and
which finished that job few months
ago, built 80 miles of railroad and
was cutting lumber there for 80 years.
Other extensive lumber operations
were conducted by the Meadow Noun
tain Lumber Company and the Bear
Creek Lumber Company near the
Deep Greek region where reforesta-
ton has been going on since 1921.
Large Reforesting Project.
The largest forest planting project
in which the Maryland Department of
Forestry has co-operated, is on the
lands of F. F. Nicola, at the southern
extremity of Meadow Mountain, $500
feet above the sea, where Mr.. Nicola
owns 1000 acres of this mountain
plateau which, prior to his ownership,
was cut over between 1900 and 1905.
A portion Of this, ''The Rights of Man
Tract" comprising about 500 acres
and which contained virgin stands of
white pine and hemlock timber, was
burned so terrifcally by forest fire
in 1905, after logging. that not liv-
ing tree was left.
For nearly twenty years this land
remained in a devastated condition,
with no prospect of a remunerative
second crop. However, in 1921, the
owner, upon the advice of the Mary
land Forestry Department, decided to
reforest these waste lands; and In
the spring of 1921 the first planting
was done with large-sized white pine
and Norway spruce for immediate eff
feet, using about 500 trees.
In the spring of 1922, about 22,500
white pine transplants, averaging II
inches in height, were planted with a
spacing of 6 feet. Allowing for
a few small patches of natural repro
duction, the. area contained in this
planting probe ct was about 25 acres.
The planting was continued in the
spring of 1923, using a variety of
species af follows: Scotch pine, 5000;
Norway spruce, 5000; European
larch, 5000; red oak, 5000; black
locust, 5000; and black walnut 1000.
With the exception of the walnut, the
different species were planted on sep
arate blocks of nearly five acres, for
the purpose of establishing demonstra-
ton planting of sufficient size to show
conclusive results. At the time of
planting in 1923, all wild currants
and gOoseberries were eradicated from
the planting area as a preventative
against any possible attack by the
white pine blister rust.
Young Trees Doing Well.
During the summer of 1923 count
of the trees was made to determine
the per cent living, with the following
results; white pine, 80 per cent; Scotch
pine, IS per cent; Norway Spruce, IS
per cent; European larch, Is per cent;
red oak, 80 per cent; black locust, 80
per cent; and black walnut, IS per
cent. The larch had already started
to leaf out when received at the plant
ing site, and in this condition a severe
freeze few days after planting
caused great damage and accounts for
the heavy loss.
Mr.. Nicola has been securing the
trees from the State Forest Nursery
at cost and wants to increase his
planting program to so acres a year
as soon as the nursery can furnish
the stock. The planting was done
under the supervision of Assistant
State Forester Karl E. Pfeiffer and
Warden Clark Glotfelty.
This interesting work was continued
in the spring of 1924, when there were
set $4,000 white pine, 1920 arbor vitae