BEST SEED YEAR FOR LONGLEx\F PINE 307 



blinds, some of which may be cut from years longer, or by thinning it properly 

 a 50-year-old stand, brings from $30 at the right time, he can obtain a great 

 to $35 a thousand feet. Second-growth deal more and better timber, and 

 white pine, the kind that is found on consequently a much larger relative re- 

 thousands of abandoned fields and turn in money, than if he allows it to 

 pastures in New England, and that be cut clear when the first opportunity 

 which has sprung up after lumbering offers. 



in many places where the original white The best second-growth white pine, 

 pine forests stood, has a value today, 45 years old, will yield about 42,000 

 says the department, that makes it board feet per acre, but the same stand, 

 well worth the attention of the owner, when 55 years old, will yield 55,000 feet, 

 Too often, caution the forest officers, an increase of 13,000 feet per acre in 

 the farmer or other land owner sells 10 years. And this is not all, for along 

 second-growth white pine stumpage with the increase in quantity comes an 

 for less than it is worth because he does increase in quality. Not only more, 

 not know how much liunber the stand but better timber is to be had. Count- 

 is actually capable of yielding, or else is ing in this factor of quality, the lumber 

 ignorant of the price the liimber and from an acre of best white pine, 55 years 

 other products will bring. Too often, old, is worth about $1,000 against a 

 also, the foresters say, the owner of value of $750 when^the stand is 45 

 second-growth fails to realize that per- years old. 

 haps by holding his pine trees for a few 



BEST SEED YEAR FOR LONGLEAF PINE 



FOREST officers who have just servation Commission of Louisiana 

 returned from the southern showed groups of seedlings as far as 300 

 states say that 1913 was the feet from the nearest seed tree. Long- 

 best seed year for longleaf pine for leaf pine seed is relatively large, but it 

 a long period of years, and that through- bears a filmy wing which causes it to 

 out its range the tree produced a full revolve spirally when it is dropped 

 crop of seed. This is said to be par- from the cone, so that if winds prevail 

 ticularly noteworthy because the species at the time the seeds are released they 

 matures seed no oftener than from six may be carried for considerable dis- 

 to eight years, and often at longer tances. 



intervals. In many sections the seed The reason forest officers are calling 



last year was so abundant that it col- attention to the abundant seedling 



lected in little heaps in ruts and other growth is that they may bring home to 



depressions. the owners of longleaf pine woodlands 



Not only was the seed crop abundant, the peculiar need at this time for pro- 



but weather conditions were unusually tecting these woodlands from fire, 



favorable, and by early December most They point out that it would cost from 



of the seed had germinated and little five to ten dollars an acre to restock b}^ 



seedlings 2 or 3 inches high are now artificial means what nature has done 



growing in great numbers. In some gratuitously this last fall, and emphasize 



cases, however, there was insufficient the fact that the owners of longleaf 



moisture during the fall, and the seed pine lands, where natural reproduction 



lying over the winter will germinate has taken place in this way, should not 



early this spring. fail to fight fires vigorously this season. 



Throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and as many seasons thereafter as 



and eastern Texas many thousands of possible. 



acres of longleaf pine forests are now It is a common belief in many parts 



carpeted with these seedlings. Counts of the south that longleaf pine will not 



made in December by the State Con- reproduce itself. This belief has arisen. 



