FOREST COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. 45 



Nearly all of these seventy-eight would doubtless be cut and the 

 estimated scale that I place upon them is nine thousand feet. Put- 

 ting these facts aside for a time, let us look into the makeup of 

 this stand more closely. 



Of the total number on the acre the seventy-eight above men- 

 tioned might be cal ed the dominant trees. Their cfowas reach 

 above the general surface of the forest cover and are of good size 

 and vigorous. Yet the lowest live limbs are high above the ground 

 and the trunks are moderately long and clean. Standing among 

 them are trees of smaller diameter. Of these the stems were long- 

 er while the crowns were smaller and higher from ground. In all 

 degrees these characteristics are developed until we find trees 

 whose foliage is a mere tuft, trees whose vitality has been lost so 

 that they would not revive if the obstruction was cleared about 

 them, — even some trees already dead. 



Now with the present cutting the history of the laud is not ended. 

 These remaining trees will fill up the space, the larger ones among 

 them going ahead with spreading crown and swelling trunk And 

 note that the lower trunk by the agency of competition is cleared 

 of limbs, and the wood that in the future may be deposited will be 

 clear. Thus has the basis f'<v future growth been constructed. 



What somewhere near will be the rapidity of such growth? What 

 is the product that may finally be arrived at? The answer to the 

 last question will be first attempted, and it is grounded on much 

 observation and inquiry. Given time, I see no limit to the product 

 we may expect, short of the limit of the species as that was seen 

 in the original growth of the country. This may be inferred from 

 varied testimony. Some old burns in the first place, burns that were 

 found when the limberlands were first surveyed, have yielded much 

 large pine timber On favorable sites, frequently in the edges of 

 our towns trees may be seen that are well on the way to such a 

 denoument. The finest landing of pine I have seen in two win ers 

 largely spent in travel in the timberlands of the State was hauled 

 into tide water from just outside the limits of the city of Portland. 

 At an age of 125 to 140 years, trees that had evidently grown up 

 on cleared ground had reached a diameter of two to three feet and 

 a height of 120. Such trees were already far on the road and must 

 prove, it would seem, to the satisfaction of any one that in repro- 

 ducing Huch trees as gave our State her early reputation, nature 

 will do her part if only we give her opportunity. As for the par- 



