FORESTRY. 257 



Forestry plantations, J. L. Btjdd (Ioica Sta. Rpt. 1896-97, pp. 126, 

 127). — The author reports upon the present condition of forestry plan- 

 tations, the trees of which were planted from 15 to 21 years ago on 

 both high and low lands. The land selected was 4 knolls of thin 

 soil, with parts of the valley between dry enough for plowing. The 

 trees were planted 4 ft. apart each way and cultivated until the tops 

 shaded the ground fairly well. On knoll 1 the box elders and catal- 

 pas have, as a rule, made scrubby, dwarfed growth. Specimens of 

 black oak 1 ft. above the ground are 43 in. in circumference, Riga pine 

 43, basswood 39, Austrian pine 36, red cedar 23, catalpa 21. In the 

 case of the catalpa tree the trees measured were exceptional; in the 

 other cases average trees were taken. Upon the low ground at the base 

 of this plat box elder, catalpa, basswood, and hard maple made a large, 

 even growth. 



The second portion of the plantation was devoted largely to white 

 pine and European larch, alternated with box elder and green ash. 

 On the hilly ground the white pine has grown very successfully, many 

 of the trees being 44 in. in circumference and 50 ft. in height. The 

 best larches measure 31 in. in circumference and are as high as the 

 pines. The box elder and ash, as a rule, have been crowded out 

 except in the lower grounds. The white pine and larch on the low 

 laud are equal in size and stand to those on the hill. 



The third part of the plantation was planted mostly with black wal- 

 nut and butternut, with some box elder, white elm, green ash, and 

 black wild cherry. In the bottom lands the black walnuts average 

 50 ft. in height, with stems 29 in. in circumference. The only trees not 

 crowded out by their growth is the white elm, which in height and vigor 

 of growth is about equal to the black walnut. On the hilly part of the 

 plantation the only thrifty trees are the European larch and the black 

 wild cherry. At the time of the planting the belief was common that 

 the butternut was a high-land tree, and no specimens were planted in 

 the low lands. On the hills most of the trees are either dead or their 

 tops are dying. 



In the fourth part of the plantation green ash was planted exclu- 

 sively, and with 20 years' growth the largest trees on the low laud are 

 25 in. in circumference. Upon the high ground the trees stand much 

 better than where alternated with black walnut, white pine, and larch, 

 but they are of small size, showing that they should have been thinned 

 at least 10 years ago. 



Of the conifers planted on the college campus during the past 20 

 years the species that have remained thrifty in isolated positions in 

 blue-grass sod are white, Black Hills, silver, and Douglas spruce; 

 Douglas and concolor fir; and white, Black Hills, dwarf mountain, 

 red, riga, and some specimens of Austrian pines. Black and Norway 

 spruce, Scotch pine, common fir, and American and European larch 

 do not withstand drought in isolated positions as well as in timber 

 plantations. 



