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 treatment as butt-log quality response was not conclusive. Releasing crop trees with the crown-touching approach seems appropriate in sapling stands when applied to desirable stems on better sites. S3.

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 of early crop-tree stem response, the released trees are growing 0.16 inch/year compared with 0.13 inch/year for the unreleased trees. S3.

S2In West Virginia, yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) is abundant and is a prime candidate for increased utilization in a variety of manufacturing industries. Computer simulations are a cost-effective tool for estimating potential cutting yields from lumber. They can be used to promote increased use of yellow-poplar in the furniture, cabinet, and architectural woodworking industries and may also lead to increased utilization of the lower grades of lumber. This paper describes the data collection methods and the format of the new West Virginia yellow-poplar lumber defect database that was developed for use with computer simulation programs. The database contains descriptions of 627 boards, totaling approximately 3,800 board feet, collected in West Virginia for grades FAS, FASIF, No. 1 Common, No. 2A Common, and No. 28 Common.S3.