S2Small-sawtimber white oak crop trees in Kentucky were released by a crown-touching technique. In two cutting treatments, 20 and 34 crop trees were released per acre at a total cost of $35 and $42, respectively. Both treatments yielded commercial volumes of cut material. Total mean merchantable volume (>5.0 inches d.b.h.) in cut trees was 693 cubic feet/acre, with approximately 2,400 board feet/acre in sawtimber (2 11.0 inches d.b.h.). On the basis...

S2Precommercial thinning was done in a 12-year-old Appalachian hardwood sapling stand in West Virginia. Two crop-tree release techniques were used-crown touching and crown touching plus 5 feet. Results indicated that both treatments significantly increased & year d.b.h. growth for released yellow-poplar and black cherry crop trees. Although there was a major increase in d.b.h. growth, caution is suggested when using the crown-touching plus 5 feet...