Uo stan a0) LOU Oma Le)
OF THE
WOODLOTS OF MICHIGAN
SU eA
FRANK HOBART SANFORD
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_ 3.1293 00991 230
—
THE ECONOMIC HANDLING
of tne
WOODLOTS OF SICHIGAN.
by
FRANK HOBART SANFORD.
1913.
THESIS
THESIS.
for
ADVANCED DEGREE
108496
Being an
investigntive study of woodlot
conditions and the economic
use of woodlands. Especial
reference being given to the
owners! attitude.
That the MWichig2n woodlots have suffered a grad-
ual decline during the past twenty-five years, is rendi-
ly conceded by all who rre advised of the facts. But
just how far this decline has gone and the most prob-
able reasons for it, hnve not been wade clear; not will
the iatter be righted for many years after the facts are
knowm.
The genernl expression so comnonly voiced in the
words--"Well, the woodlot does not look as well as it
used to" may be applied to seventy-five per cent of the
woodlots of Central Wichigzin.
Observations r2lonz this line were first noted by
the writer in 1905, since which time studies have been
made and noted whenever and wherever possible, and es-
pecially in that part of Michigan somuth of'a line from
Saginaw to Muskegon, which constitutes the north bound-
ary of the ture woodlot area of the State. Woodlots
have been exanined in every county south of the line in-
dicated; while woodlands of the counties of Jackson, Nate
on, Inghan, Calhoun, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Berrian, Cass,
Wayne, Oakland, Saginaw, and Ionia have been exanined
very fully. In following out tne work indicated above,
many other woodlot arens tnan those covered by this re-
port were noted in 9 general way while traveling past
them, Observations taken in this way from the carriage
or the car window, proved of very great vr-lue later,
when checking up conditions in various counties.
Several townships were studied thoroughly, viz.:
In Jackson county, the townships of Sandstone, Paria,
Tonpkins and Sprinsport; in Genesee county, the towns of
Atlas, Grand Blanc nnd Gaines; in Inghan, the towns of
Meridian and Lansing; in Ionia, the town of Easton; in
Oakland, the town of Oxford and in Cass, the town of
Penn. In all a few over five hundred wooded areas were
examined to obtain the data for this report. The meth-
od employed, was in A general way, the sane in all coses.
The following iteas received the most careful consider-
ation:--
Ll. The total orea and the genernl condition of the
stand; whether younz second growth, or old mature tim-
ber.
2. Species predowinating and drainage, or types.
3. Whether the area aight not be more valuable for
agriculture than for forests. This depended l2rgely on
topography 2nd could not be deterained with any degree
of satisfaction under the methods employed.
4. The uses made of the woodlot, the methods em-
ployed in the managenent, and a general view of the own-
er's ideas, It was necessary to meet and talk with the
owners of the woodlots, regarding the profits and bene-
fits they derived annually, and as well as their views,
opinions and intentions; in this way the owner's atti-
tude was made apparent and a closer relation revealed.
Ofwmer's Attitude.
These talks often revealed more than was really
stated, for many times in the owner's absence the rent-
er's version was noted with interest and the reasons for
the existing conditions were often thus revealed. It was
further found that during the last twenty-five years, a
very large per cent of the farms had either changed hands
or gone into control of renters, either change usually
working havoc with the woodlot.
The writer witnessed scores of answers to the query
regarding the disposal of recently cut timber, as:--
"Yes, that made a part payment on the place, and besides,
I needed the land for pasture."
Se common was this attitude among renters and new
purchasers that it was often considered futile to sug-
gest a better systen of woodlot management to them. Fur-
ther, it was observed that the older men--those who had
7 oars =e to a me wee wee: - (Ain in
owned and preserved their woodlots for the past thirty |
to fifty years, and also, the younger men who had re-
ceived instruction or who were experienced earlier on
their father's farms, were conservators and not wasters
or careless users of the woodlot. Both classes were
emphatic in expressing some well considered plans.
From the standpoint of the forest enthusiast, as well
as from the aesthetic viewpoint, this condition spells
"“Qisaster." But from the standpoint of economic de-
velopment of the Michigan farm, it may be the reverse.
In conferences with good farmers, it was found
that in many cases farm lands were too valuable to be
permanently devoted to the growing of timber. The av-
erage farmer did not care to take upon himself the re-
sponsibility of devoting a part of his best agricul-
tural land permanently to the growth of trees. Some
considerable sentiment prevailed against any addition
or improvement to the present forest lands, for the
reason that the returns from timbered land were not
large enough to justify the cost.
Bach owner or renter interviewed was induced to
state as far as possible, his views and attitude to-
ward woodlot improvement and maintenance. The follow-
ing are some of the questions asked to obtain that ine
formation:--
1. Does your woodlot pay? This question usually
started talk which was carefully guided by other ques-
tions until the desired information was secured, such
asi--
1. Amount of fuel per yeaf and value?
2. Head of stock pastured?
3. Timbers cut?
4. How do the returns from the woodlot compare,
acre for acre, with the returns from farm land?
5. Do you plan to improve the woodlot?
Such interviews revealed that there were three
rather well defined classes of woodland owners.
Class 1. Those men who considered the woodlot an
indispensable adjunct to the farm and who were doing
what they considered the proper thing for its preser-
vation. Usually they freely acknowledged the woodlot
to be a poor business proposition, but were unwilling
to convert the standing timber into cash and the soil
into farm land, because of sentiment. They were at-
tached to the woodlots and could afford to maintain
them as such.
Class 2. Those men who were fully acquainted with
the present woodlot condition and were not satisfied
with the results from it. They were ready to change
their old methods for better. They looked at the wood-
lot from an economic standpoint rather than a senti-
mental. Many of them had compared the money returns of
the wooded acres with the income from the farmed acres
and were not satisfied with the showing made. Others
were talking of cutting and clearing portions of their
woodlots, because of the need of greater acreage and
higher returns, The acknowledzenent of this last con-
dition was usually made with some reluctance by the
owner. Sentinent was strong in him still, but the de-
mand that the land be made to produce more was strong-
er.
Class 3. This class included a large class of
owners and renters who use the woodlot as they would
@ supply depot, taking out the timber and fuel most
easily obtained, regardless of young growth or future
yield. They pasture every acre every year. They seen
to act on the motto--"There is enough for us--let the —
future look out for itself." Or as one "self-made"
farmer expressed himself--"Well, the boy can look out
for himself like I had to; nobody spent any money grow-
ing timber for me.* The handling of woodlots by this
class means only one thing eventually, viz.: A’ de=
pleted and worthless woodlot of poor cull species, and
a materially lessened inheritance to the "boy" who takes
the farm a few years hence.
An attenpt made to determine the number of owners
belonging t each class was not satisfactory, but a care-
ful estimate places them about as follows:--
we ne
Class 1, ------------------------ 40 %
Class 2, ------------------------ 35 %
Class 3.cccn- -n eee n ene n ne enenn- 25 %
On account of an apparent indifference regarding the
work and often a reluctance to make positive state-
ments, a number of men who might rightly belong to
Class 1 or 2, were necessarily placed in Class 3,
thus making that class somewhat too large.
A’ few outlined definite plans for handling their
wooded holdings. In most cases these plans were for
cutting only. They were systenatically renoving the
timber from the more valuable lands. Their ultimate
aim meant the conversion of timber into cash, and wood-
lot into plowland. Only in a few of these exanples,
was there found any sentiment favoring systematic grow-
ing of trees for woodlot purposes.
One example in southern Inghan county illustrates
the exception. The owner of a large farm is planting
the odd irregular patches and exposed hillsides for
permanent woodlot purposes. His present timber lands
are being cleared because they are level and better
suited for farming. He plans to cut systematically
from the woodlots as fuel and farm demands, until the
new plantings become available. Another man near Wat-
ervliet, recently made plans to gradually establish his
woodlot on eroded land, by planting, and to clear the
woodlot which stands on good rich level land. The ul-
timate result will mean the utilization of all good
land of the farm for farming, and the poorer lands for
the growing of fuelsposts and general purpose timbers.
Other Wood Crops.
In a few instances the writer found that special
or product crops were being taken from some portions of
the farm woodlot annually. The two important crops in
this line are Maple sugar and nuts. Strictly speaking,
such business is orcharding and not forestry; never=-
theless, it is considered as a part of the woodlot re-
turns, and as such, goes far toward raising the annual
revenues of the woodlot.
There is little question but that woodlots of hard
Maple and Shagbark Hickory, Walnut.ind Butternut should
and will be the last to be cleared to make way for more
intensive lines of agriculture. The present returns are
from five to twenty dollars per acre, per year for the
products alone, and with systenatic care, proper thinn-
ing and selection cutting, the incomes should be increas-
ed.
Types of Woodlots.
Ignoring all factors save that of probable future
timber crop, we find that there is a wide range in the
kinds of woodlots. Many are ideally located as perm-
anent woodlands, occurring on the poorest, most inac-
cessible land of the farms--too hilly to farm or too
wet for cultivation and impossible to drain; while
others are located on the main roads--near the farm
house--on heavy flat lands, capable of yielding large
farm crops. -The following types of woodlands occur
with greatest frequency:--
Type 1. The timber stand of all ages on steep
hilly land, usually of rather light, gravelly soil or
gand or clay which washes badly when the timber is re-
moved. The species of trees on this type are mixtures
usually of Black, White and Red Oaks, Cherry, Blue
Beech, Ironwood, Dogwood, Sassafras and often some of
the Poplars. (See Fig. 1.)
Type 2. The same hilly condition with timber of
one age class present or with many 3ge classes lack-
ing; denoting either recurrent fires or frequent graz-
ing. The species composing such a type may be some-
what mixed but only a limited number of medium too
large sized trees to the acre; and of such species as
White Oak, Red Oak, Black Oak and Cherry. There is
usually a noticeable lack of underbrush and no repro-
duction; grass is usually present. (See Fig. 2.)
Type 3. The low swamp stand of Cedar, Black Ash,
and Tanarack where drainage is difficult or impossible
(See Fig. 3.)
Type 4. The lowland type composed either of mix-
ed species, such as Hlms, Ashes, Basswood, Swamp Oak,
Burr Oak, Sycamore, Maple, Tulip, Gun and Beech or
nearly pure stands of Hard Maple by selection. Practe-
ically even age and little or no young growth. Cap-
able of drainage, usually. (See Fig. 4.)
Type 5. The dense second growth stands of White
Oak, Black Oak, Red Oak, Cherry, Beech, Hard -laple,
Tulip, Ironwood, Sassafras, Birch and Poplar growing
on the rolling loans--not pastured because too dense.
(See Fig. 5.)
Type 6. Dense second growth Maple stands, after
cutting of old tinber cle-n. A mass of young seedlings
and sprouts from one inch to four inches--six inches in
diameter; not pastured because too dense. (See Fig. 6)
Type 7. Stunp lands of all soils with sprouts in
scanty stond--pastured. (See Fig. 7.)
- fhe park-like stand of mature reserve cull trees--
the commnon wooded pasture. Other isolated stands were
found but did not recur often enough to warrant classi-
fication as types.
Types 1 and » are found with great frequency in
several counties, viz.:-- Jackson, Oakland, Inghan,
Ionia 2nd pgyomise more from a permanent woodlot stand-
point, than any of the other types, for the reasons-=-
1. The soil is better suited to wood crops than
to agriculture.
10.
sn = ee ee eee
ee em
2. 35 : 8 : 0 : 30
Parma. : : : :
Jackson =; : : :
Co., : 22 : 9 : 0 : 14
Sandstone; ; : :
Jackson ; : °
Co., : : : :
Spring- : 14 6 : 1 : 12
port. : : : :
Oakland : : : :
Co., : 40 3: 7 : 0 : 80
Oxford. ; ; ; :
Cass Co.,: : ; :
Penn. 42 : 4 : OQ : 45
Ionia Co.:: : : :
Baston. :: 56 16 : «4 s 32
Ingham : : : :
Co., : 4 : 1 : 1 : 3
Meridian.: : :
Ingham : : : :
Co., : 5 : 3 : 0 : 4
Lansing. 3: : : :
TOTALS. : 244 : 60 : 9 : 236
In all, five hundred and forty-nine woodlots were
exruined. On three hundred and thirteen woodlots there
was found so little reproduction that no sanple plots
were made. On two hundred and thirty-six woodlots the
young growth was sufficient to warrant an estianate. The
final avérage was two hundred and nine seedlings of all
species per acre 3s the result on one hundred and fifty-
eight saaple squ»re rod plots. The two reasons why the
reproduction stand averages so low 2re:--
l. Crown Density.
2. Grazing.
‘The inaximum crown density recorded in a few wood-
lots was ninety-five per cent, while the average crown
density for the woodlots comprizinsg the two hundred and
thirty-six acres above uentioned was fifty-eight per
cent. No records were nade of crown density on the
three hundred and thirteen woodlots where no reproduc-
tion occurred, but since grass was growing well, the dens-
ity average would hxrve rend below four per cent.
Pasturage.
It may be said that no other agency has so seri-
ously interferred with the best developinent and growth
of the South Central Michigan woodlots as the pastur-
age and trampling of liveestock. Following a careful
17.
examination of three hundred ani sixty-two woodlots,
it was found that two hundred and fourteen were past-
ured regularly every season, or that only thirty-eight
and one-third per cent were not pastured at all. In
nearly all cases where the woodlots were pastured, it
was not possible to make 1 study of reproduction since
the reproduction was either entirely lacking, or so
scanty as to warrant no consideration. Of the one
hundred and fifteen woodlots that were not pastured, it
was found that:--
l. All age classes were represented,
2. All land utilized, no openings.
3. Well formed trees, properly crowded.
4. Good ground cover of lenves, duff and litter,
without grass.
5. Over-stocking of trees genernlly, and dense
stand=--no chance for wind to sweep through.
6. The soil was soft, loose and open, and con-
tained much humus; retentive of moisture and furnishe-
ing a good germinating bed for seed,
An examination of the pastured woodlots revealed
conditions as follows:--
l. Irregular clunvs of trees and intervening op-
enings.
2. Soil p2cked and hard.
3. Absence of leaf cover and litter.
18,
Pe
———_ ai
4. Evidence of wind sweep.
5. Grass, weeds, underbrush and brambles pres-
ent but little or no reproduction.
6. No chance for seed to reach miner?7l s0il for
germination.
7. Trees often ill-eshaped, having very rapid tap-
er 3nd very branchy.
8. Usually very few age classes were represented,
depending however, on number of years since regular
pasturnge began.
Irregular Ppasturacze.
A small per cent of the woodlots classified as not
pastured, ere in reality pastured; either lightly or at
long intervals with very little danaze, if any, result-
ing.
Value of Pasturage. —
Many factors enter into the question of the value
of woodlot pastures. The three most important are;--
l. Density of woods.
2. Kind of stock pastured.
3. Character of ground cover.
The more open the woods, the more valuable it becomes
for pasture, since all forage plants and grasses re-
quire abundant light. A’ woods having a crown density
of nine per cent furnishes little or no green fodder
for the sheep or cow; and if such woods are pastured, .-
19.
the only benefit derived is the shade and freedom from
flies during the heat of the day. The danage to such
woods, other then packing of the soil, was practically
nothing.
The crown density of a woodlot furnishes a very
good cuage for measuring the probable damage from gsraz-
ing. Taking the woods of lesser density first, it was
found thst a crown cover of three per cent or less, be-
longed ordinarily to Type 7 as described; and as such
does not warrant the expense of maintenance as woodlot.
Woods of eight per cent density or above, were
found to be little dnmaged from pasture, since not e-
nough light reached the forest floor, to establish her-
baceous growth.
The woods having densities ranging between three
and eight per cent however, were very subject to the
pasture damase. Ninety per cent of the pastured wood-
lots came within this class..
Kinds of Stock Pastured.
Cattle and Horses. The chief damage from young
horses and cattle in the woodlot, arises through the
tramping of the soil and injury to the seedling crop.
The browsing did not appear to be serious, except when
grass pasture was very short, and even at that, not as
serious as is commonly supposed. The real injury be-
20.
longs to the soil, since the packing of the soil by
stock and loss of the rich le?f and Litter ‘zaulch by
wind action prevents the means of natural fertiliz-
ation.
Sheep. Sheep browse very closely, and seem to al-
ways prefer the one end two year old tree seedlings to
the wire grass and other woods plents, and are especiale-
ly destructive.
Hogs. It was observed ina limited way that the
pasturage of nogs in the woodlot duriny the mast seas-
on has a beneficial effect, since they root the soil
and tnereby bury quantities of seed that otherwise would
not reach the inoist :,ineral soil. No data was avail-
able to prove that this observation was correct. In
three instances, hogs were found to be pasturing regu-
larly and these were observed.
Oharacter of Ground Cover.
The amount of ground cover in the woodlot depends
directly upon the density of the crown as stated above.
The kind of plants making up the ground cover vary wide-
ly and depend upon the moisture present in the soil.
Dry, rolling soils having a low crown density of one to
four per cent 2re usually poor for pasture. Wire grass
is the only abundant forage plant. Also, many forms of
objectionable undergrowth come in on these lands, such
el.
as brauble and briar vushes, along with the tree weeds
in large quantities. Low flat lands having a low
crown density furnish the greatest anount of weeds, grass-
es and other forage. And it is this class of woodlot
which inust be cleared eventually and give
ly to pasture.
The Model Farm Woodlot.
In order to place the results of this series of
investigation in a form for economic application, the
writer undertakes a plan for the conversion of good
farm soil woodlands into farms, while the necessary
acreage of woodland inay be maintained and made to serve
a double purpose of farm protection and ti.aber produc-
tion.
Why the Present Conditions Exist.
The study of the future forest crop possibilities
was considered as being very important, since it furn-
ishes the key to the future development and value of the
woodlot. Natural planting costs nothing while artificial
planting requires an outlay of both time and money. fc-
Qnomic handling demands that attention and care be giv-
en to the protection of these annual crops of wild seed-
lings if the woodlots are to be perpetuated. The follow-
ing conditions were revealed by the search:--
l. No records of instruction regarding the proper
O22.
handling of the seedlin,g crop.
2. An attitude of indifference and often of ignor-
ance regarding the way trees grow and reproduce,
Several well enough posted men, otherwise, were sur-
prised and decidedly so, when told that trees like Elm
and Maple grew from seed. One inan who had spent the :nost
of his life in the lumber woods, and an authority on logu-
ing operations, would not believe that good forest could
again be grown on the cut-over land; nor could he be made
to realize that there was any use of protecting the young
growth. These examples are cited only as illustrations
of the conditions existin,; throughout our fair State.
They are in no way exceptional or extreme, and they should
help to emphasize the great need for more liberal educa-
tion.
The reason that woodlot owners are uninformed to
such a large extent, lies in the fact that the wood crop
has yielded them the least annual income of any of the
crops handled. They do not hesitate to inform themselves
upon the fine points of growing corn or alfalfa, as soon
as they see it demonstrated as a paying proposition.
The average farmer is very quick to see the practi-
cal turn in any suggested improvement, and once interest-
ed, he is usually 1. consistent worker; but the writer is
forced to accept the fact revealed in personal conversa-
23...
tions with a great number of woodlot owners, that the
practical advice given out during the past decade, nas
been almost worthless. Even forest educators have in-
dulged in the peddling of sentimental notions to a great
extent, while the various organizations acting from aes-
thetic promptings have always favored and accepted such
doctrines and have helped to spread then broadenst.
Continued sentiuental talk and articles tire even the
theorist, while they disgust the men of practical af-
fairs. Farmers have repeatedly spoken of the forestry
sentiment as twaddle and nonsense, 2nd usually because
no direct and practical methods have ever been pointed
out to them. When they are shown that benefits of im-
portance to all crops are secured if a well defined sys-
tem of tinber growing is followed, the attitude changes
favorably. Whenever a plan of operation was presented,
to cover the following points of value to the farm, an
interest was usually manifested at once. The points of
value in the plans covered, 1re:-=-
1. Protection to farn buildings and stock.
2. Windbreak action to prevent excessive and rapid
evaporation of soil water from the fields, adjacent to
the wooded aren.
3. A continued supply of fuel and farm timber.
4. The rotation plan of treating timber as a crop.
24,
5. The nerns of handling the wooded area of the
farm so as to incrense fuel production without injury to
the windbreak feature.
6. Economic use of side hills and poor areas.
Five per cent of the farmers are tree planters;
their tree planting is done in tne form of windbrerxs and
for ornanent7l purposes, or both. Leas than one-half of
one per cent of the farmers interviewed by the writer dur-
ing the last eight years, have attenpted systeaatically
to improve their woodlots by planting. The results from
such work once begun, are very discouraging and seldom
completed. There has been no way to determine the nunber
of woodlot owners who have accepted recomnendations offer-
ed by various institutions, but in nearly every case where
a feasible method was presented to then,thney acknowledged
the logic and reasonableness of the proposition, but w:2re
not enger to undertake the long improvement.
The above observations were itade on woodlots occupy-
ing land so situated as to be as valuable if cleared, as
the firm land adjacent. No objections to the use of lands
not fitted for farming purposes have been heard at any
time. That woods owners recognized the need of wooded ar-
eas both from an aesthetic and fron a practical stand-
point, and are entirely ready and in many cases agree to
formulate plans for the development of plantations to meet
25.
such needs, is on the increase annually. The issue as
it appeared after this preliainary exanination was as
follows:--
That there existed two general classes of woodlots
called farn woodlots. The one occupying land of nigh
value from an agricultural standpoint, when clerred; the
other occupying the woste, hills, -rzarshes ind irregular
portions of the farnus. No distinction has been .aade by
the i1vera.se speaker or lecturer before the various town-
ships and county organizations, between these two class-
es. Consequently, they have tried to apply one rule to
both.