51 



INSTRUCTIONS AND BLANK FORMS, WITH ILLUSTRATIVE RECORDS. 



INSTRUCTIONS FOli THE COLLECTION OF TEST PIECES OF PINES FOR TIMBER INVESTKiA'lIONS. 



A. — Ob.tf.ct or WORK. 



The collector shoiilil uiiilerstuiiil tliat the ultiiii;it(! object of tlie.se investigations i.s, if )>ossible, to e.stablish the 

 relation of qnalitv of timber to tlie romlit ions under which it is <;rown. To accomplish this object he is ex]>ecte<l to 

 fnrnish a very careful descriptioii of tlie con<litions uniler which the test trees have grown, from which test jiieces 

 are taken. Care in ascertaining these ami minuteness anil aecnracy of (le.scrii>tion are all-Important in assuring 

 properresults. It is also necessary to selec^t anil i)repare the test pieces exactly as described and to make the records 

 perfect as nearly as possilile, since the history of the material is of as much imjiortance as the determination in the 

 laboratory. 



li. — I.OIAMTIKS loR foI.I.ia'TINi;. 



As to the locality from which test trees are to be taken, a distinction is made into station and site. 



By station is to be understood a section of country (or any places within that section) which is characterized 

 in a general w.-iy by similar climatic conditions and geological formation. "Station," then, refers to the general geo- 

 graphical situation. ■■Site" refers to the local conditions and surroundings within the station from which test trees 

 are selected. 



For example, the drill- deposits of the (iulf Coast plain may be taken for one .station; the limestone country of 

 northern .\labama for a second. Hut a limestone formation in West Virginia, which dill'ers climatically, would 

 necessitate another station. Within the lirst station a ricli, moist hummock m.ay furnish one site, a sandy piece of 

 nplauil another, and a wet savannah a third. Within the second or third station a valley might furnish one site, 

 the top of a hill another, a difl'erent exjiosure may call for a third, a dril't-iriii]icil ledge w-itli deei)er soil may war- 

 rant the selection of amilhcr. 



Choin: of statioim. — For each species a special selection of stat ions from whicli test jiieces are to he collected is 

 necessary. These will bo determined, in each case separately as to number and location, from this oilHie. It is pro- 

 posed to cover the field of geographical distribution of a given species in such a manner as to take in stations of 

 climatic difference and ditl'erent geological horizon, neglecting, however, forthe iiresent, stations from extreme limits 

 of distribution. Another factor which will determine choice is character of soil, as dependent upon geological forma- 

 tions. Stations which i)romise a variety of sites will be preferably chosiin. 



CltDicr of xilc. — Such sites will be chosen at each station as are usually occupied by the .si>ecies at any one of tlio 

 stations. If unusual sites are founil occupied by the species at any one of the stations it will be determined by 

 special correspondence whether test pieces are to bo collected from it. The determination of the number of sites at 

 each station must be left to the judgment of the collector after inspection of the localities; but before determining 

 the number of sites the reasons for their soh'ction must be reported to this office. The sites are characterized and 

 sehclcd by diti'ereuces of elevation, exposure, soil conditions, and forest conditions. The ditterence of elevation 

 which may distinguish a site is provisionally .set at 500 feet; that is, witli elevation as the criterion for choice of 

 stations the dirt'erence must be at least .500 feet. Where ditl'erences of exposure occur a site should l>e chosen on each 

 of the exposures present, keeping as much as ])o.ssiVde at the same elevation and under other similar conditions. Soil 

 conditions may vary in a niunbcr of directions, in mineral composition, physical proi)erties, depth, and natnri^ of the 

 subsoil. For the present, only extreme ditlerences in depth or in moisture conditions (drainage) and decided dill'or- 

 ence in mineral composition will be considered in making selection of sites. 



Forest conditions refer, in the first place, to mixed or pure forest, oi)en or close stand, and shoulil be chosen as 

 near as possible to the normal character prevailing in the region. If what, in the judgment of the collector, const i- 

 tules normal conditions are not found, the history of the forest and the points wherein it diH'ersfrom normal nnuli- 

 tionsmust be specially noted. 



C. — ClIOICK oi' TRKES. 



On each site five treivs are to be taken, one of which is to serve as "check tree." None of these trees are to bo 

 taken from the roadside or open Held, nor from the outskirts, but all from the interior of the forest. They are to be 

 representative average trees— neither the largest or best nor the snialhsl or worst, preferably old trees and such as 

 are not overtopped by neighbors. 



The "check tree," however, shouhl be selected with special care and should rci)rc8ent llo- best developiMl I rco 

 that can be found, judged by relative height and diameter ibvelopment and iiertect crown. 



The distance between the selected trees is to he not less than 100 feet or thereabout, yet care must be exercised 

 that all are found under precisely the sanu> conditions for which the site w.Ts chosen. 



There are also to bo taken six young trees as described under H. 



If to bo had within the .station, select two trees from 30 to GO years old or <dder, which are knoin, to have 

 grown up in the open, and two trees which are known to have grown up in the forest, but have been isolated for a 

 known time of 10 to 20 years. 



