X2 FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 



No. 3 for iiistauce is the curve of a tree 13 iuches in diameter that stood 

 iu hard wood land on the town of Brassua on Moose River. At 108 years 

 of age it was only 25 feet high. Clearly it had up to that time been 

 densely shaded. Some time not long after that, however, the growth 

 must have opened up around it, for the line at that point begins to rise 

 fast. Probably surrounding trees rotted or blew down. The tree at any 

 rate by some means got access to light and aii-, and it quickly proved 

 proved itself able to use them to good advantage. So with the next one, 

 No. 4, from 5 11. 3 on the Magalloway River. This tree in early life was 

 long and hard suppressed. At 12.5 years of age it was only 15 feet high 

 and contained probably not more than 1 cubic foot of wood, yet even by 

 that treatment the vitality was not crushed out of it. Getting finally 

 free from suppression, it at once began a height growth equal to that of 

 young trees of the same size that had always been open. In the last 80 

 years 50 feet has been added to its height, while vigorous growth is still 

 maintained. In such ways does a curve of this kind give us at a glance 

 a fair idea of the history of a tree. As to maximum height, it is plain 

 that the trees whose height growth is here plotted have not yet reached 

 it. Perhaps it would have been gained at SO feet, when the curve would 

 become nearly horizontal. 



A comparison of diflferent species in the same manner would be well 

 worth while. Curve No. 5, for white pine, maybe compared with No.l, 

 for spruce in the sam^; conditions. No pines were cut at this point, but 

 numerous trees had reached the height here represented, and the course 

 of the curve I am able to put in from figures gathered elsewhere. Good 

 pines on this soil reached in 100 years a breast diameter of twelve to IS 

 inches and a height of 90 feet. Spruce in the same conditions gained a 

 size of 8-12 inches and height of 60 feet. Both were grown in strong 

 competition with neighbors. Open grown trees of whatever species are, 

 of course, quite a different matter. 



The further question arises — how much supression will pine stand and 

 still survive it? Ever3-one who is familiar with our northern woods 

 knows that it will not stand any such treatment as spruce. It can, in fact 

 as near as I have been able to learn be kept down to about half its normal 

 height development, crowded down say to a height of 40 or 50 feet at 100 

 years, without being killed by the process. That height growth would 

 be represented by a curve about like No. 2 in the figure. 



What for practical purposes we most want to know about trees is the 

 amount of wood they contain and the histoi'v of its deposition. Turning 

 back to our tree schedule it is plain that on the former point the caliper 

 measurements give us full information. These were taken 4 feet apart 

 along the tree up to the point where it was 3 1-2 inches in diameter. To 

 get the volutne of the tree, cylinders of the right size and number and 

 each 4 feet long must be added together and a fair allowance made for 

 stump and toj). For this work a table of contents of cylinders is verj^ 

 handy. This not being commonl}^ found in books, an extract from it 



