99 



FOKEST COMMISSIONER S REPORT. 



The following tal)le embraces the results obtained for spruce in hard 

 wood land, hind, that is, in which hard woods form half or more than half 

 the stand. The trees have been o;rouped according to diameters — that is 

 observations on all trees of the same diameter breast high were averaged 

 together to obtain the figures here given. Tne recorded or actual com- 

 puted results are arranged in the first five columns. By plotting the 

 values there given for volume and per cent, and drawing a smooth curve 

 following their course, irregularities have been taken out and the true 

 relation made clearer. These corrected values are in the last four 

 columns. 



Spruce on Well Soiled and Well Drained Land. Soil Cover Leaves. 

 Hard Wood Half or More than Half the Growth. 



Computed Results. 





S - o 

 w o s 



Growth Last 

 Ten Years. 





" ~ ° ^ 



S 3J C '- 



a; 



o 

 > 



s^.i 



Same Evened by Drawing Curves 

 FOR Volume and Per cent. 





Growth Last 

 Ten Years. 





*- c3 s a> 



ti'-. 



.a 



t'% 

 >• 3 



7 

 8 

 9 

 10 

 11 

 12 

 13 

 14 



4.6 

 7.6 

 10.9 

 13.7 

 18.. 3 

 21.8 

 26.4 

 31 



1.26 



1 26 



1.52 



1.5 



1.4 



1.3 



1.2 



4. 



7. 

 10, 

 14 

 18 

 22 

 26, 

 31 



1.2 



1.35 



1.4 



1.4 



1.42 



1.35 



1.31 



4.2 



4.1 

 3.9 

 3.55 

 3.2 



2.8 

 2.5 



.315 



.43 



.55 



.64 



.70 

 .74 



.78 



121 trees observed in all, one-third of which stood on Dennis, Somerset county; 

 the remainder on various Kennebec townships between Hobbstown and Roach 

 River. Average height above sea about 1,200 feet. 



There are ceitaiu relations running through these figures that are of 

 the greatest practical importance. First let us examine the figures for 

 the amount of j'earlj' growth. According to the table a tree 8 inches in 

 diameter produces yearly about .3 of a cubic foot. At 9 inches it 

 grows half as much more, at 11 inches twice as much, and beyond that 

 point the increase though at a smaller rate steadily goes on. The cau.se 

 of this is easy to understand. It is twofold. lu the first place the larger 

 a tree the larger as a rule is its crown— the greatei-, that is, the area 

 of its leaf surface aud its consequent power to grow wood. The other 

 reason is in the tree's surroundings. A small tree as a rule is more 

 shaded than a tall one. Only when a tree reaches a considerable size 

 does it iu ordinary circumstances have room and light for vigorous 

 growth. 



Now the practical point in this, if the tree is cut while it is still small, 

 all the period of its rapid volume growth is lost. That is to cut ofi' its 

 life just as it is beginning to produce something. 



