• Lamson, Neil I.
  Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Durham, NH.
  
• Smith, H, Clay
  Northeastern Station's Timber and Watershed Laboratory, Parsons, WV.
  

Precommercial 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 5-year DBH growth for released yellow-poplar and black cherry crop trees. Although there was a major increase in DBH growth, caution is suggested when using the crown-touching plus 5 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.