Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1929-10-10
TIM Ell Y
FARM TOPICS
bB the
County Agricultural Agent
''It Pays to Handle a Woodlot
Conservatively"


In the southern part OF the state
is woodlot which stands out as a
very good example of how II pays TO
handle a woodlot eonservatively. This
lot has been owned by the same fam
ily since 1877 and fortunately quite
complete record has been kept Of Just
what the area has meant 10 the owner.
IL has an area Of twenty-six acres
and represents about an average piece
Of woodland as far as soil is concerned,
for quite a goodly per cent of the
area is swamp. and rocks are abund-
ant However, the lay of the land is
above the average as the slopes are
all gradual. The trees are all hard
woods.--white oak, red and black oak,
ash and hickory prodominating. Tulip
and soft maple are fairly well rep
resented.
The owner has always been success
full in preventing fire damage and the
lot has never been grazed heavily.
A conservative policy Of cutting has
always been the rule. Only trees
which had gained maturity or sufii-
eient size TO yield good quality have
been cut Clean cutting has never
been practiced. In this way stand
of growing trees of all sizes has been
maintained.
The following is a tabulation of the
material that has been taken from the
lot since 1877:
/. Cordwood, used on farm. 40s
cords.
2. Total lumber, total cut, 50.754
board feet; used on farm, 40,754 board
feet; sold, 10000 board feet.
3. Piling. total cut, 12S trees;
sold, 1913 trees
Total money outlay for sawmill and
hired labor, $5i6.13.
Total money income for material
sold including lumber, piling, cord
wood, sawdust, etc, $S92.00
A recent 1000 estimate 10 deter
mine what still remains on the lot dis
closes the following information.
Number trees per acre 6 to ID inches
in diameter, y feet above ground:
81 with a volume of 2,0ii board feet.
Number trees per acre Ia inches
and over: 30 with a volume Of $3.50
board feet.
Additional material: Cordwood
from tops and slabs, about $50 cords;
ties from tops of large trees, about
300.
This information shows that there
is still on the area over 10000 board
feet of lumber per acre and quite a
large quantity of additional material.
OF this volume of lumber il is inter
esting 10 note that even though. there
are almost twice as many OF the small
Ter trees per acre they contain only
I-5 of the lumber. Thus 1t is evident
that the owner could cut over 5000
board feet of lumber per acre with
out touching any trees under fourteen
inches in diameter.
In summarizing the history Of this
lot the following points are outstand-
ing:
/. Conservative selective cuttings
have maintained continuously pro-
ductive woodlot.
2. Continuous production has en-
abled the owner to make cuttings al
will for lumber, cordwood, etc, for
home use and for sale.
3. The production has been at the
rate of about 24b board feet Of lum-
Der per acre per year.
4. The money income from surplus
material sold has exceeded the total
money outlay for labor and sawbills
by S375.S7.
5. Since small trees yield so little
low grade lumber il is much more
economical TO leave them 10 grow into
larger material.
Material in this article obtained
from article by j. A. Gibbs, Extension
Forester.
RAYMOND f. WING,
q County Agent.