What is to be here considered as the Forest, is that part of the upland region of the Biltmore Estate that is now wooded, except so much of it as shall be taken for the Park, Garden and Pleasure Grounds attached to the House. Various tracts of this region that have been lately cleared and in cultivation are to be planted and when planted will be a part of the Forest. But in the present Memorandum only the existing wooded land is to be considered, the extent of this being, it is estimated, something more than 4,000 acres.

The management of forests is soon to be a subject of great national, economic importance, and as the undertaking now to be entered upon at Biltmore will be the first of the kind in the country to be carried on methodically, upon an extensive scale, it is even more desirable than it would otherwise be that it should, from the first, be directed systematically and with clearly defined purposes, and that instructive records of it should be kept. A brief account of the Forest as it now is will be here given, and afterwards a statement of what is intended by the proprietor to be the first general operation for its improvement.

This forest is composed of two classes of trees; those of one class comparatively old, with long, slim trunks and high, meagre, tufty heads; those of the other, younger and of much lower growth, the tops of their heads being generally below the bottom of the heads of the trees of the first class. The first class will be referred to as the high growth, or as the old growth; the second, as the low or the young growth. The division between them is generally obvious to even an unpractised eye. The older and larger trees of the high growth are commonly unsound, being hollow in the trunk and dead in some of their upper branches. The ground has been often burned over and of late closely browsed and there is but little low underwood. The manner in which trees of the high growth have come to their present condition may be thus explained:-

As soon as it began to be profitable to market any kind of wood from this region, saw-mills were established to work it into merchantable form and the forest was culled of its largest and most valuable trees to supply these mills. As means of communication improved and demand increased, there came [140]to be a warmer competition among the mill-owners and the forest was culled again and again. With the near approach of railroads, the establishment of manufactories at Asheville, and a consequent local need for much common building material and firewood, the demand at last came to be such that nearly every sound tree of the territory now forming the Biltmore Estate, that would measure a foot in diameter at the butt, could be felled and its trunk drawn to a mill with profit.

The present older and taller growth of the Biltmore Forest is thus the refuse of the refuse of repeated cullings of the original forest. The trees composing it, while young, grew with difficulty under and between older trees, the roots of which, spreading through all the soil, took from it most of its nutriment and in dry seasons most of its available moisture. The young trees, thus struggling for life in the shade of the older, had become lanky and stunted. When the larger trees were cut out, most of them were already too old for a change of character, and, although they have since grown larger, they remain ungainly in form and generally very scant, if not quite bare, of foliage, for two-thirds of their height from the ground.

Scattered among them, and generally over-topping them, there are a few of the older large trees, left at the final culling, because their trunks being hollow with decay they were not worth felling.

After each culling, most of the trunks of the felled trees were drawn to the mills and a few, with some of the larger limbs, were taken for fencing and firewood. All the fallen wood not thus disposed of, being very large in amount, was left on the ground where, when dry, it was consumed by accidental fires, which were made so intense by it as to do much more injury than they otherwise would, not only by scorching the living trees remaining on the ground, but by consuming the leaf-mould that would otherwise have kept the soil moist and furnished the best of tree food.

Under the high growth of the present forest, the existing condition of which has thus been accounted for, stands the low growth, most of which would seem to have sprung from seed and from the stumps and roots of the fallen trees after the ground had been considerably opened to the sun by extensive cullings, the trunks of this later growth, at four feet from the ground, being now from two to six inches in diameter. Although more or less crowded, shaded, and stinted of food and moisture by the draughts upon the soil of the higher growth, most of the trees of the low growth are still vigorous saplings and, if opened to the light, and otherwise favored, may yet become strong and shapely great trees. To permit them to do so, the great body of the refuse trees of the high growth now oppressing them are to be cut out; their more valuable parts taken away; the remaining parts safely burned and the ashes spread for the benefit of the young trees.

But some few trees of the old growth are yet healthy and fairly well formed, and where they are so, it is the wish of the proprietor that, from considerations of scenery, they should, in many cases, be left standing. Sometimes [141]several of the old trees, standing near together, may be seen as a distinct cluster, which, if cleared about, would grow into a fine, large, spreading, single, compact and umbrageous body of foliage. Sometimes, also, among the old trees one will be found which, because it is of a kind comparatively rare, or because it is interesting from some peculiarity of form, will be desirably preserved. The entire Biltmore Forest is to be gradually gone over, removing the superfluous trees, and as this will take several years, by the time the work is done it will be time to thin it a second time. Therefore it is not necessary that the first cutting out of old trees should be exhaustive, and whenever there is reason for doubt whether the forest would be improved by the immediate removal of a tree, it may for the present be left.

At the same time with the felling of most of the high class of trees, as above provided, the low growth is to be thinned. In selecting the young trees to be taken out, the objects to be had in view are (a) to make room for the branches of those that remain to spread, (b) to prevent the available nutriment and moisture of the soil from being taken up by so many trees that none will be abundantly nourished, and, (c) to secure as even a distribution as is practicable of the choicest trees, so that, after a few years, there will be growing on the land nearly the largest amount of valuable timber that it can bear.

But these objects are occasionally to yield to that of retaining and promoting the growth and exhibition of particularly interesting single trees, and that of securing passages of more agreeable sylvan scenery than would result from a strict adherence to motives of purely commercial profit. There will occasionally be found young trees and groups of young trees which, because of their beauty, will desirably be allowed to stand until from natural decay they are of no value for timber. Opportunity is to be given such chosen trees and groups to spread freely and attain majestic, or further develop picturesque, forms, surrounding trees being from time to time cut away on order to give them room to do so and to secure ample feeding room for their roots.

At present, Oaks of numerous species stand throughout the forest, many to one of all other kinds of trees. Without attempting to overcome this predominance of Oaks, it will desirably be somewhat reduced. Hence, most kinds of Oak, but especially Black Oak, may be taken out more freely than other trees. Well-formed White Oaks, which are comparatively infrequent, should be cherished. So, also, should the Chestnut; Beech; Bass, and White Bass, (Tilia); Whitewood, (Tulip, Liriodendron); all the Hickories; all the Birches; Sweet Gum, (Liquidamber); Black Gum, (Nyssa); all the Magnolias, (Sweet Bay, Umbrella tree, Cucumber tree); Sassafras; Persimmon; Papaw, (Assimina); Sour Wood, (Oxydendrum); Catalpa; Holly; Yellow-wood, (Cladastris); Dogwood, (Cornus florida); Fringe tree, (Chionanthus Virginica); Rattle-box, (Halesia tetraptera); Angelica, (Aralia spinosa); All the Haws, (Crataegus). Several of these are rare on the Estate and a few have not yet been observed but are likely to be. Trees into which grape vines or other vines have grown, may generally be saved with the vines. Not many Black Walnuts are wanted because [142]they are so long without leaves; not many Cherries because they are nurseries for the bag-worm; not many Yellow Locust because of the borer that is apt to infest them. Various trees not now found on the Estate will be introduced by planting, especially on the borders of intended roads.

Scattered “Old Field Pines” standing among the deciduous trees are generally to be felled. The Yellow Pine, (P. mitis); is to be felled or left according to circumstances. If in numbers forming a group and fairly vigorous, to be left. Occurring singly, unless uncommonly spreading and vigorous, to be cut. Where very lofty, with dead branches nearly to the top, with young trees coming up below, to be felled. Where low-branched in considerable bodies, to be freely thinned.

The following instructions are given as to the process of beginning the first systematic thinning.

1. Mr. Gall, as resident Landscape Architect and Forester, will be Superintendent of the Work.

2. Foremen are to be instructed and trained, each at first with a few axemen, the number to be afterwards increased.

3. For some time, all trees to be felled are to be blazed under the direction, tree by tree, of the Superintendent. While directing the blazing, the Superintendent is to be so instructing the Foreman that he will become familiar with the principles which, as above indicated, are to govern the selection of trees to be felled.

4. Later, when, in the judgment of the Superintendent, the Foreman can prudently be trusted to mark the trees to be removed, he is to be directed to do so, but under strenuous instruction that every tree, about the removal of which there can be reasonable doubt, is to be left for the consideration of the Superintendent. The Foreman is also to blaze trees so far in advance of the work of felling, that the Superintendent may be able to review the blazing before the marked trees are felled. In this review, the Superintendent will have additional trees blazed if he sees occasion, and will indicate trees to be saved, especially the rarer, which the Foreman may have mistakenly blazed to be cut. Let the blazing be on the north side of the tree, and not unnecessarily large. Let one blaze mean to fell; two, to save.

5. The Superintendent will look ahead of the blazing for opportunities of forming points of special landscape interest by the development and exhibition of particular trees and groups, and so instruct the Foreman that these opportunities may be improved only under his (the Superintendent’s) personal direction. So, also, as to operations immediately about springs, brooks and notable outcrops of rock. In particular cases, places are to be reserved by the Superintendent for the personal consideration of the undersigned.

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6. Occasionally a tree will be found, which, although it has been greatly injured by crowding and otherwise, may, by a shortening in of its upper part, or by pruning a deformed branch, be made in a few years one of unusual value. The Superintendent will look ahead for all such trees and direct how they shall be dealt with.

7. All engaged in this work are to be instructed and trained to be cautious and skillful when felling trees, to avoid letting them fall so as to mutilate others.

8. The work of trimming, cutting and stacking such part of the fallen wood as can be profitably taken away; the moving of it and the gathering and burning of the trash, is to follow as closely as practicable upon the felling of the trees, so that fuel for forest fires shall be left on the ground no longer than is necessary.

All cases that have been indicated as exceptional being reserved, the Foremen are to be made familiar with and to strictly observe the following rules:-

1. Old trees with long, naked trunks, that have come to their full growth, or nearly so; such as are dead at the top or have many dead limbs, or that otherwise appear to be in a decidedly infirm condition, and all dead trees, are to be felled.

2. Old trees when still sound and vigorous, standing upright, with thrifty and moderately low branches, and that are not greatly crowding one another, are to be left.

3. Where young trees are crowding one another, the less promising of them are to be felled, until the head of each unfelled tree stands clear of others.

4. But if two or more healthy trees are growing so that their heads merge together in one, forming a very promising group, none need be felled; in such case, however, care must be taken that any other trees are taken out which, if left standing, would soon crowd the group. Such a group of trees may be of any length, provided it is so narrow that every tree of it will be well lighted on one side, and allowed to spread its branches freely on that side, its head thus forming one face of a body of foliage, the other face of which will be formed by the heads of other trees of the group. An occasional glade or small open space in the Forest, with unusually promising trees on its borders, is desirable.