When the question of the regeneration of the woodlot is seriously
considered there are several points which stand out prominently as
follows:
1. Protection.
2. Taking of stock.
3. Removal of undesirable species.
4. Selection of desirable species.
5. Method of regeneration.
6. Care and management.
1. =Protection.= It is essential that a woodlot shall be protected if
it is to be an asset to the owner and brings him financial returns.
There are two destructive agencies against which he must make
special efforts, fire and stock. It may seem unnecessary to point
out the various bad effects which fire and stock have on woodlands,
but they are nevertheless here set forth in brief. =Fire= destroys
timber utterly, injures it so that it is subject to insect and fungi
attacks, lowers the grade of the timber, destroys or seriously injures
reproduction, destroys humus and lowers the productive capacity of the
soil. There is no way in which burning over a woodland improves the
character of the forest. =Stock= have a very injurious effect on trees,
especially young growth. Some stock eat up the nuts and berries and
seeds which are the means of reproducing the forest. Other stock browse
on the young trees which have started, destroying the young growth
altogether or seriously gnawing other trees thereby leaving them badly
malformed and depleted in vitality. By rubbing against small trees
stock also do a great deal of harm. So stock should be rigidly excluded
from the woodlot, or at least until all the trees are well developed
and even then no good is accomplished. If possible, the woodlot should
be well fenced. The other destructive agencies against which protection
may become necessary are insects and disease. If fire and stock are
excluded, the chances of insects and disease doing serious damage is
materially decreased. Diseases and insects are best kept in check by
keeping the wooded area clean of dead and decaying material. In case of
serious insect infestation it may in some cases pay to spray the trees,
but under ordinary conditions this is not practical. The common way of
fighting disease and insects is to cut down and burn all affected trees.
2. =Taking of Stock.= The next step in the regeneration of our woodland
is to find out the extent and character of the stock on hand, for we
can not proceed intelligently without this knowledge. This taking of
stock may be a purely ocular process or it may be a detailed estimate
and description, depending on the extent of the woodland and the
desires of the owner. All reproduction should be accounted for as
well as the older stock on hand. The taking of stock should also
involve the division of species into desirable and undesirable species,
by desirable species being meant such species as it is desired to
encourage because of the demand for it in the local market or because
of the use which may be made of it by the owner on his farm. The
desirable species will usually include the fast growing species.
3. =Removal of Undesirable Species and Trees.= The first actual work
in connection with the regeneration of the woodlot is the removal of
undesirable species. When this is undertaken the local market and other
markets should be carefully studied in order that, if possible, a sale
may be found for the material which is removed, so that the work may
pay for itself. In determining what are undesirable species there are
several factors which will govern and no specific list of trees can be
cited. The desire of the owner, the market for the material, rapidity
of growth and other features are among the important considerations.
Such trees as blue beach, horn beam, red bud, service berry and others
have no rightful place in a woodlot since they take up space without
furnishing any product of value, unless the wooded area is desired for
its aesthetic features. In a woodlot which is maintained for fence
posts and fuel it would be poor policy to retain any but those species
which make good fence post material and fuel and grow rapidly. In this
matter, common sense will go a long way. Also badly suppressed trees,
malformed and diseased or infected individuals should be removed as far
as practicable.
4. =Selection of Desirable Species.= In the selection of desirable
species there are a large number of considerations, and the first of
these is the purpose of the owner in maintaining the woodlot. For
instance, if the owner desires fence posts, and fencing material, his
woodlot will, in Kentucky, be confined to those species which produce
such material =quickly=, as for example black locust, catalpa, chestnut
and walnut, also it will be well to have a percentage of red cedar
(juniper) in the mixture, for since red cedar grows comparatively
slowly, it may be reserved to be cut as the second crop and will serve
to shade the ground and prevent erosion when the faster growing
species have been cut and during the restocking of the area. If fuel as
well as fence post material is desired, a mixture including hickory,
oak and chestnut would be desirable. If ties, posts, poles or other
products are an object, certain species are desirable and are easily
grown. A list of trees suitable for various purposes is herewith given.
No species are included in this list which will not produce marketable
material repeatedly within the lifetime of a single individual. Only
in unusual cases is the raising of trees for lumber recommended as a
feasible or profitable venture for the individual farm owner.
Fence posts and fencing material――Black locust, catalpa, chestnut,
walnut, oak, red cedar (juniper).
Fuel――Oak, hickory, maple, chestnut.
Poles――Chestnut, catalpa, red cedar.
Ties――Black locust, catalpa, chestnut, walnut, oak.
Vehicle material and handle stock――Hickory.
5. =Methods of Regeneration.= There are several things which must be
done to secure a good forest over the area. If natural seeding is to
be depended upon for reproduction, the ground must be prepared to
receive the seed. Sometimes the sod will be so thick over the area
that seeds get no chance to generate. In this case, the sod should
be plowed up, if possible, or harrowed so that the seeds may have a
suitable opportunity to start. To do well, it is necessary that the
seeds and seedlings have easy access to the mineral soil. It may
be that the ground is so shaded that seedlings do not receive the
necessary sunlight. If this be so, sufficiently large openings should
be made in the forest cover to admit the required light. It may be that
natural seeding does not proceed rapidly enough and that this must be
supplemented by the sowing of seed artificially. When artificial sowing
is resorted to it will be found that there are several methods of
sowing which recommend themselves: broadcast, sowing in prepared rows,
sowing in prepared seed spots and sowing with a corn planter either in
rows or spots. This last method is recommended as being usually most
satisfactory and economical. Sowing with a corn planter can be resorted
to only in the case of small seeds. Large seeds, such as walnuts,
hickory nuts, etc., must be planted by hand, but when this is done they
are liable to be eaten by squirrels or other rodents, in which case it
may be necessary to plant such seeds in small protected seed beds and
then transplant the seedlings to the place where they are desired.
If planting is to be depended upon for reforesting, the nursery stock
obtained should be small seedlings not over one or two years old or
transplants two to three years old. If the amount of planting to be
done is large, it may be wise to start seed beds close to the ground
where the planting is to be done and not to depend on commercial
nurseries for stock.
6. =Care and Management.= It will be found that the care and management
of the woodlot is relatively a simple matter after the forest is
well established and that the character of the stock and the amount
and quality of the products will improve materially with management.
There are certain systems of management which recommend themselves
for woodlots such as the (1) simple coppice (2) pole wood coppice (3)
coppice with standards or variations of these. The three methods here
cited are briefly described.
=Simple Coppice.= This is a system of management wherein all the stand
is cut and the restocking of the area is secured by sprouts from the
old stumps. Under this system the stand should be cut at an age not to
exceed twenty-five years and preferably about fifteen years, although
this is usually impossible from a commercial standpoint. The cutting
should be done in the late fall, winter or early spring. The stumps
should be cut low, smooth and slanting so as to shed water and prevent
decay. After a time under this system the sprouting capacity of the
stump is greatly reduced and arrangement must be made to secure new
individuals either by direct seeding or by planting.
=Pole Wood Coppice.= This system involves the leaving of certain trees
until they reach the pole wood stage and are suitable for such products
as ties, poles, etc. It is a favorite method of handling woodlots.
=Pole Wood Standards.= This system involves the leaving of a certain
few trees until they are of large size. Such trees should usually be
from the seed.
In the management of the woodland, it will be necessary to make several
cuttings before the final cutting at the end of the rotation, usually
one or two. A thinning may early become necessary to give the best
specimens a better chance for growth. Sometimes two thinnings may be
required. Often a thinning may be required to secure reproduction by
opening up the forest cover and exposing the ground so that young
growth may have the opportunity to get started.
In the final cutting, when all or the major part of the crop is cut,
the material should be removed from the ground as rapidly as possible
and the brush disposed of when practical. The disposal of brush will
usually take the form of lopping the limbs from the tops and scattering
them, so as to secure early decay of the waste material. Sometimes the
brush may be advantageously piled and burned.