SILVICULTURAL NOTES. 27 



forest. By a natural process of pruning, the lower branches die and 

 fall off, while the weaker trees are suppressed in the struggle for 

 existence. Such reproduction can be seen on almost any old field, and 

 if protected from fire it will produce a heavy and valuable stand of 

 mature timber. 



In this connection the areas known as "hurricane breaks" are of 

 interest. Between thirty and forty years ago a tornado completely 

 destroyed the forest in a narrow strip about half a mile wide and ± or 5 

 miles long. This entire area is now grown up with a pole forest of 

 Shortleaf and Loblolly Pine, in which hardwoods occur but rarely. 

 The pine seed evidently blew in from the surrounding forest. 



With open ground and plenty of light there is, then, no difficulty in 

 obtaining an excellent reproduction of Shortleaf Pine. The difficulty 

 occurs when reproduction is required under a certain amount of shade 

 from both broadleaf and coniferous trees, upon ground where the young 

 pine must fight for existence with a growth of oak, gum, hickory, and 

 other hardwoods, and struggle along against the ravages of repeated 

 fires. After the first eight or ten years, the period during which this 

 species is capable of existing under the broken shade of broadleaf 

 reproduction, the chances are that, unless the plant has succeeded in 

 forcing its leading shoot up through the broadleaf growth surround- 

 ing it, it will give up the struggle and yield the ground to the hard- 

 woods. Fortunately a large percentage of the pine seedlings usually 

 succeed in outgrowing and overtopping the hardwoods at this impor- 

 tant point, and from then on develop rapidly to maturity. Reproduc- 

 tion is also difficult on ground covered by a dense growth of grass, 

 although a light growth seems to have no great influence. 



If a good reproduction of Shortleaf Pine is wished for, protection 

 against fire is absolutelv necessary. 



After lumbering under present methods, with the simple addition 

 of a system of fire protection and the leaving of an occasional Short- 

 leaf Pine above the diameter limit to furnish seed for reproduction, 

 the new growth of this species should be excellent. It will appear at 

 first as scattering seedlings under the young growth of hardwoods, 

 and will slowly push up above the latter. As time goes on it will 

 gradually become more dense and tend to form itself into groups. 

 Groups will be formed because in some places the pine will have an 

 easier time of it against the hardwoods than in others. Consequently 

 there will be groups of hardwoods where these are too well established 

 to be replaced by pine, and groups of pine where the latter wins. 



One point in connection with the reproduction of Shortleaf Pine can 

 not be too strongly emphasized. While there is no doubt that a young 

 growth much superior to that which will follow the usual method of 

 lumbering could be obtained if a Dumber of merchantable Shortleaf 

 Pine trees were left standing on each acre and a huge quantity of the 



