EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS 131 



7. Shall we plant one kind of tree on an acre, or shall we plant several kinds? 



Prof. C. S. Sargenr, Director of the Arnold Arboretum in Massachusetts, long- 

 ago began planting many kinds of forest trees, including those from Europe and 

 other countries, and, as late as 1S7S, recommended for our use the planting of the 

 Scotch pine, European larch, European linden, and several others, but in 1886, and 

 since that time, he has turned completely about. He says "many of the con- 

 clusions reached in those papers, however, have not been substantiated by further 

 investigations upon the same subject made during the past ten years. * * * x 

 am now as fully convinced that tne native trees of Massachusetts are better suited 

 to Massachusetts than any exotic trees can be, and that if our woods and planta- 

 tions are ever to assume real importance, and to make profitable returns upon the 

 money invested in them, they must be composed either wholly or in large part of 

 our native trees." 



The white willow of Europe seems to be an exception to the rule just mentioned, 

 as it grows rapidly and reaches large size in this country, and is worth planting 

 if anyone can make use of the lumber. 



Most of the trees of Europe which attain much size were long ago planted more 

 or less at the Agricultural College, some of them as early as 1860, and many others 

 previous to 1875. The tests there made lead me to the same conclusion for Michi- 

 gan that Prof. Sargent reached for Massachusetts. Furthermore, the trials that 

 have been made in Eastern North America lead us to conclude that there is nothing 

 on the Rocky Mountains or on the Pacific Slope that is worth planting for growing 

 timber in Michigan. 



Prof. Sargent says further, "the most instructive plantations of Massachusetts are 

 not those which have been made upon the European fashion, or rather with 

 European trees, by men who have studied the subject in Europe or in European 

 books upon forestry. The real progress in sylviculture in Massachusetts has been 

 made by the farmers of Barnstable and Plymouth counties, who have taught us how 

 to plant and raise forests successfully and profitably under the most favorable con- 

 ditions. The secret of their success must be sought where they sought and found 

 it, not in forest treatises, unsuited to the requirements of this community, but in the 

 native woods in full view of their own doorstep, which told them what to plant 

 and supplied them with material for planting. 



It has been demonstrated in Barnstable county that a crop of pitch pine can be 

 raised from seed with as much certainty as a crop of corn and with much less 

 expense." 



Half a century ago some experiments were begun in Eastern Massachusetts in 

 planting wliite pines on barren sandy soil. The young trees were set in shallow 

 furrows at odd times, with little expense, at a distance of from five to twelve feet 

 each way. and after planting received no subsequent care whatever. They grew 

 rapidly and vigorously. Prof. Sargent says: "Here, no doubt, are the most profit- 

 able and successful attempts at sylviculture ever made in the United States."' 



These experiments do not, unfortunately, show "the method of culture which can 

 best be adopted in order to make this tree yield the greatest return. More experi- 

 ments are needed with the white pine." 



Where experiments were made in Massachusetts the land consisted of old fields, 

 clear of stumps and other obstructions, while in Michigan the pine stumps are still 

 left and the intervening spaces are often filled with logs, briars, shrubs and 

 grasses in variety. 



In making selections for planting, the nature of the soil and other conditions must 

 be taken into account. On light sands we may not wish to rely on the conifers 

 because of great risk from fire, but on such lands our broad-leaved trees are 

 found to grow but indifferently, making timber of little value. For growing good 

 timber on such lands, judging from our present knowledge, we are reluctantly 

 forced to select some of the cone bearing trees. Still good pine has been grown 

 on land in Michigan that also grew good hardwood. Where white pine or other 

 kinds of first-class trees have been growing to some extent on our wild land and 

 liave not produced good timber, it is a sure sign that it is unsafe to plant such trees 

 for profit; on the other hand, if fire and browsing animals are kept out, it is pretty 

 safe to rely on a good crop of timber on land where one fine crop of trees has 

 been removed. 



For Michigan the following kinds have been known to grow well, each in soil 

 suited to it; white pine, Norway pine, American elm, white ash, basswood. sugar 

 maple, black clierry, yellow birch, red oak, and perhaps also with good care. 



