Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women - Wise Acres Yearbook (Ambler, PA)

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WHAT IS FORESTRY? George H. Wirt There are many definitions of forestry, but the very simplest one that may be given is that forestry is the proper handling of forest property. As a science forestry includes many things. It takes out of all of the various sciences what it needs to thoroughly study and understand the laws of tree growth, individually and collectively. The practice of forestry is the making use of knowledge concerning trees, in order to accomplish the purpose desired by the owner of forest property. The important function of (forestry, of } course, is that of growing trees for their products, the principal one of which is wood itself. As such, forestry is a land problem, just as agriculture is a land problem, and the forest constitutes a crop just as wheat constitutes a crop for the farmer. The people of Pennsylvania and the people of the United States cannot get along without wood, in fact, without wood civilization would disappear. The people in all of the Eastern States are now importing from great distances most of the wood which they use, notwithstanding the fact that they have millions of acres of land either producing nothing or producing only a small portion of the wood crops which they might produce under common sense management. The bringing of idle acres up to their full production is a very vital problem demanding solution at the hands of all of the citizens of the Atlantic States. The answer is the practice of forestry on such acres. As a business for any one individual, forestry demands a large acreage, and in order to grow large timber a long period of time is required, but the owner of even a fraction of an acre of land, which should grow trees, may put into effect much of the knowledge used by foresters and cut a crop in a few years, and in this way do his part towards maintaining the welfare of his community. There are sufficient foresters within easy reach and sufficient State Departments of Forestry to give to all private individuals whatever instructions and assistance they may need. The forest that is in its best condition for producing the highest quantity of wood is usually the forest which will furnish in the best manner all of the benefits which the community receives from the presence of a forest. Such a forest helps to maintain the local water supply, helps to temper the local climate, furnishes a place for recreation, a home for game, and for birds. It adds to the value, not only of the land upon which it stands, but of the community at large, and by reason of its growing trees, which should be cut when they reach merchantable size, furnishes labor to the people of the community and raw products to its industries. A few of the simple rules for the handling of small tracts of woodland are as follows: Keep the soil vell covered with trees. If grass grows in

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leaf pine stands near the Forest Academy, Franklin county. This is the most northern heavy stand of short-leaf pine in America, and embraces a considerable number of stately trees, some of them being 250 years old. This grove is located only a few miles from the Lincoln Highway. Detail information can be supplied by The District Forester, Mont Alto, Pa. Only the most important tracts of original timber are given in the above list. Other stands are found in Coxe’s Valley, Mifflin county, on Mount Logan, Clinton county, on the summit of Mount Riansares, Clinton county, along Swift Run, near New Germantown, Perry county, along Nine Mile Drive and on the Prouty Run, Potter county, along Pine Creek in Mifflin and Centre counties, and in Sweet Root Gap, about 6 miles south of Rainsburg, Bedford county. These tracts do not include all the original trees that are found within the State, for in every county of the Keystone State there remain many old trees that were at one time a part of the original forest. They bear mute evidence of struggle and successes. They are veterans of many battles. To learn to know them and to preserve them will be a credit to us and a blessing to future generations. 4

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the woodlands it is an indication that too much sunlight reaches the ground under the trees. Planting along the borders and within the woods, or the encouragement of growth of seedlings is necessary. Of course, grazing should not be permitted. Tree weeds should be removed from the woods just as garden weeds are removed from the garden. This means that if a red maple is interfering with a white ash, the red maple should be cut. Dead trees, of course, should be removed and used. If a crooked tree of any species is interfering with a straight, sound tree, the crooked and defective tree should be removed. If a large, branchy tree is taking up too much room and crowding out tall, straight stemmed trees, it should be removed and young growth should be started in its place. Trees of large size should be removed because they are matured and their room should be given to rapidly growing young trees. Trees grow to be cut and used and not to be preserved standing. Whenever a tree is cut the future of the forest growth should be considered, and only such trees should be cut as will leave the woods in better condition after the removal than it was before. The one agency which is doing most to reduce and prevent the production of wood on the forest areas of the nation today, is fire. Ninety-nine per cent, of fires, which are started in woodlands, are started by the carelessness of human beings. Forest fires, therefore, are preventable, and must be prevented in order to guarante the timber necessities of the people who come after us. Protection of the woods from fire is the first step in caring for woodlands, for, if this protection is not assured, it is useless to attempt to do anything else toward bettering the conditions of the forest. If fires are kept out of the forests, it will give the natural forces a chance to crystalize into wood volume. It will then be possible for the forester or those working under his directions to control the forces of nature in such way that they will accomplish the greatest good in the shortest period of time. We need wood. There is a shortage of wood now. We must protect our forest from fire and we must reforest waste lands and handle carefully all forest lands in order to guarantee the future welfare of our State. 6