Show Decaying Stump Is Menace to Hardwood Tree Tre Sprout ut According to Investigators f I I I A A- sprout from the stump of ot a hardwood tree tt e h has s a big initial advantage advantage ad ad- vantage over a seedling because it makes use pf Qt a ready made root system But Bu it has an even greater great great- er disadvantage It is handicapped by its Siamese twin connection to the great a mass a s of decaying wood woodin in the old stump Pathologists of the Civilian Conservation Conservation Con Con- corps working corps working with the United States Department of ot Agriculture Agriculture Agri Agri- gri culture specialists n in hi examining more than hardwood trees which started from sprouts and hadnot had not been damaged by Ore fire found I most of ot the decay traceable directly I or indirectly ly to the old olg stump I Eventually decay organisms I gaining entrance either directly or indirectly from the old stump are arc almost sure to start star to work in the I heartwood ot of the ne' ne new tree although some trees trees are able t to se seal l out decay decay decay de de- de- de cay with layers layer ot of growing tissue The decay may not become serious until the tree is 20 to 30 years of or orage age but becomes more serious as asit asit asit it reaches the age when it it should be valuable for lor fuel or timber Hardwood Hard sprouts develop for the the most p part t from dormant buds at or 4 near the ground line They have havea a direct connection with the first formed wood of ot the original tree In encouraging second growth on over cut-over forest lands department specialists find it better forestry to cut the sprouts and give the seedlings seedlings seed seed- lings a chance If there are few seedlings seedlings and and many sprouts it may maybe maybe maybe be necess necessary necessary ry to depend mainly on sprouts for reproduction Then it Is safer to save sprouts from the smaller stumps and thin out those from the large stumps Also sprouts from close to the ground level are safer from decay than those from higher on the stump slump For best results sprout thinning should be done fairly early in the life of the second growth stand stand- before the thc trees are 20 years old |