ONE MAN'S FOREST

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And here lies a dilemma. Shall the woodlotter fill his open land with a plantation, or is the quality of his landscape such that the choice is to leave it unchanged? Planting and even minimal management will produce a financial return. Open land will require annual care. One-time cropland can perhaps be restored to hay or pasture. Whether either of these latter uses is economically viable depends on factors only the owner can evaluate, and many of these may be unpredictable. At any rate, the land will always be there.

WHERE AND WHAT TO PLANT

A forecast is somewhat simpler to prepare for a plantation. First step is to determine the quality of the site. Here again the forester and the Soil Conservation Service are the authorities on which to rely for this major determination. Soil and topography will determine the area and to some extent the choice of what to plant. How much of the area is to be planted remains the owner's choice. Accessibility is a factor also to be considered, for there will be work to do for man and machine. Several small areas may be selected for planting rather than one large plot. The quality of the landscape as well as topography come into play in this respect. Five-year-old pines are a carpet on hill and field, but fifteen years later their wall will be a curtain . . . a new horizon. Will these mature trees destroy a cherished view? It may be wise to plan ahead.

What to plant is the next question. It is sometimes possible to make a good guess about what will grow on the site by observing what is growing on similar sites. What trees border the open land? Are there any obvious factors that would preclude their growing in the plantation? One, certainly, is the exposure to which new seedlings will be subjected. Many species require early protection from the sun, while others are more tolerant.

Here again the forester must be the guide. He will match species to the soil. And, from his experience with other plantations in his region, he will have well-tested advice, not only on species, but on all other aspects of cultivation and management of this new enterprise.

More likely than not he will recommend red or white pine, for pine is the pioneer of the eastern forest and is adaptable to a variety of sites and soils. Red pine does not need the shade of other growth, will grow on dry soil and is less subject to disease than the white pine. White pine wants more moisture but not wet soil. It will tolerate shade, but is subject to blister rust and the white pine weevil. These hazards need watchfulness and can be mitigated by prompt attention and treatment. Both are long-lived trees, and both will produce posts, pulp cuttings and saw logs at about the same timespan. Soil, exposure and the degree to which intensive cultivation can be practiced determine the growth rate and the periods for intermediate harvests before they reach saw log size some 25 years after planting.

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