The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1936-12-03
County Farmers
Faced by Three
Forest Problems
r. H. PAGE, JR.
Asst. Extension Forester

i Asst. Extension Forester
The 1885 census lists the total
farm land of Ashe county as 257, AS
acres. Of this total, 83, 172 acres is in
farm woodland. Woodland in Ashe
county constitutes more than 80 per
cent of the total land in farms. With
such large acreage devoted to trees,
it is essential to the citizens of Ashe
county that common sense be appli-
ed to the forests as well as to any
other cash crop. For decades in this
and adjoining counties timber has
been mined rather than cropped.
"Cut out and get out" has too fire.
quently been the slogan of both mill
man and timber owner, until today
there is very little first grade mer-
charitable timber left. With a search
| ty of both fleetwood and timber fac
ing Western North Carolina, immed-
| tied steps should be taken to make
Ashe and similar counties conserva-
tionally minded.
Three problems in Ashe county
farm woodlands are outstanding. In
order of Importance they are: re-
planting bare, eroded hillsides to
white pine and locust; fencing cattle
out of the woods; and thinning over
crowded stands of pine and young
hardwood.
Thousands of acres of land in Ashe
county contain very little if any top
soil and would be classified as mar
ginal or sub-marginal land. These
acres, so noticeable to all who may
travel Ashe county roads, are pro-
ducing nothing with which to offset
tax payments. Each acre is a mill
stone about the owners neck. For
this type of land, white pine and
black locust seedlings can be secured
through the county agent at $500
per thousand. Approximately one
thousand ees are sufficient to plant
one acre. The seedlings are set six
by seven feet apart. Two men can
set an acre or more in one day. Lo-
Gusts furnish fence post wood, and
are excellent soil builders. With
proper encouragement, they grow
rapidly and are well adapted to this
section of North Carolina. While
hating gullies, white pine serve as
a wind break and ultimately grow a
crop of valuable timber.
Large numbers of hardwood
stands in Western North Carolina
have been grazed continuously for
years. In many instances, due to this
one thing, there is no reproduction
of young trees to take the place of
the mature trees when these are
harvested, and land fit only to grow
timber, which should be in continu-
Gus production, lies idle. There is
little, if any, benefit derived by cat
tie from grazing woodland, and the
damage done to young growth is
considerable. Cattle seem to prefer
tulip poplar, white oak, locust, and
other desirable species while they
seldom relish sourwood, scrub oaks,
and other less favorable trees.
In sections Of the county where
white pine has not been completely
cut, there are stands of young
growth in need of thinning so that
they may produce better quality
timber in shorter time. With the re-
moval of crooked, diseased and Grip
pied trees from overcroweded stands
of young pine and hardwood, the
straight, well-formed trees are given
room, both below and above, to pro-
duce the best that they are capable
of producing. Wood culled from such
stands can be used in the stove or,
if of sufficient size, sold as paper
wood, ties, or other products accord
ing to the species. Usually enough
wood is removed from tract to pay
for the labor of cutting and to give
the owner a cash return from the
thinning.
Farm woodland in Ashe county
can either be made to yield suffici-
ent products for home use and IN
many cases additional cash returns,
or can continue to be mined and
eventually yield nothing. The choice
lies with the farmer. The county
agent is in position to give help to
every farmers in the county regard
ing that part of his farm in woods as
we'll as to help with other farm
problems. Winter wood is now being
cut, and it will soon be time to set
trees. If every farmer in Ashe
county will think through his woods
problems this year, a forward step
will have been taken which will be
of benefit to every citizen in Ashe
county.