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•S^ Hardwood Reforestation Possibilities -^ 



There has been considerable interest of late shown in certain hard- 

 wood circles relative to the future supply of wood to furnish raw 

 material for the vehicle, implement, furniture, cooperage, veneer, 

 and various associated industries dependent upon a few species of 

 high technical qualities such as the oaks, hickory, ash, yellow poplar, 

 etc. It is a well-kuown fact that rapidly increasing demands and 

 new lines of utilization are making vast inroads into the virgin sup- 

 ply of these woods and to such an extent that something must be 

 done to meet the situation. 



There are three available lines along which developments can 

 be made to conser\e our hardwood supply. First, more intensive 

 utilization can be practiced to make the present source last as long 

 as possible ; secondly, substitute woods can be introduced to take the 

 place of the rapidly diminishing supply of woods now in use, and 

 lastly new timber can be grown. 



It is obvious that more inten- 

 sive tltilization will help in this 

 problem to a considerable degree 

 and fortunately a great deal of 

 attention is being given to this 

 important subject, which has 

 many undeveloped possibilities. 

 However, in looking at the situ- 

 ation from the standpoint of a 

 hardwood supply in the future, 

 however remote, one can see at a 

 glance that even the best and 

 most complete utilization cannot 

 insure the permanence of the 

 original or present supply. Sub- 

 stitutes are being brought in 

 both from foreign countries and 

 from native sources by utilizing 

 trees, hitherto little used, to take 

 the place of our standby species 

 such as oak, hickory, ash, etc., 

 but here again only temporary 

 relief can be expected, for 

 eventually the foreign supplies 

 will be cut off and our own na- 

 tive species will be consumed in 

 the constantly increasing de- 

 mands for hardwood materials. 

 It has been conservatively esti- 

 mated that even at the present 

 rate of consumption our pres- 

 ent total timber resources, both 

 hardwood and coniferous, can 

 not last over fifty or sixty years, 

 and we are using approximately 

 twice the amount per capita now that we did about fifty years ago. 

 Furthermore, this ratio is increasing from year to year, rather than 

 diminishing. Thus it is apparent that we must eventually look to 

 some method of reforestation to furnish the necessary supplies for 

 the wood-using industries that require hardwoods of special char- 

 acteristics as well, in fact, for all forms of wood utilization, which 

 the exigencies of trade require. 



Already the vehicle and implement associations have considered 

 the possibilities of reforestation. Several railroads, prominent among 

 which are the Pennsylvania, Delaware & Hudson, Santa Fe, and 

 Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroads, have already taken up 

 the work of planting to supply ties and railway timbers for the future. 

 Several timber and paper pulp companies have taken up the problem 

 of reforestation on a commercial scale and are acting on the results 

 of successful experiments conducted by the United States Forest 

 Service, various state forestry departments and investigations car- 

 ried on by the various forestry schools. 



In considering the possibilities of reforestation the question of 



HAIUlY CAIAl.l'A l'l.A.\TAT10-\ AP.dUT T\Vi;.\TY-T\V( I YEAUS 



OLD, YIELDING SMALL SAWLOGS, AS WELL AS POLES, 



POSTS AND TIES. CATALPA IS ONE OF OUR 



MOST RAPIDLY GROWING HARDWOODS. 



the natural restocking of cut-over areas at once arises. The Forest 

 Service estimates that our forests are being cut at least three times 

 as rapidly as they are growing. Then, too, much of our lumbered 

 areas have either been cleared for agricultural purposes or are burned 

 over so repeatedly that the existing second growth is usually of 

 little consequence or composed of an almost worthless variety of 

 trees. The subject of natural reforestation is such a broad one that 

 it deserves separate treatment. Suffice it to say that on a good 

 deal of our cut~over forest, we must look to artificial methods to 

 make them produce the kinds of trees that are in demanfl. 



There are several considerations which influence the choice of 

 species in planning reforestation on a commercial scale, among which 

 the following are the most important: I — Value of wood produced, 

 2 — Rapidity of growth, 3 — Cost of planting, 4 — Freedom from in- 

 sect and fungous attacks, 5 — Adapatability to soil and climate. 



Obviously one would choose the 

 species which would yield the 

 highest quality of wood and 

 therefore the best financial re- 

 turns, provided the other consid- 

 erations were favorable. 



Rapidity of growth is probably 

 the most important factor in 

 governing the choice of species. 

 Some of our native American 

 trees are inherently rapid grow- 

 ers. The following would there- 

 fore be the best from this stand- 

 point — Yellow poplar, red oak, 

 white ash, chestnut, black walnut, 

 catalpa, black locust, red gum, 

 basswood, Cottonwood, Osage 

 orange, honey locust, etc. 



It is particularly unfortunate 

 that white oak, the "king" of 

 the hardwoods is not by nature 

 a rapid grower. Of course, under 

 favorable conditions, trees grow 

 more rapidly than under adverse 

 surroundings, but taken alto- 

 gether white oak, hard maple and 

 hickory, three of our best hard- 

 woods, are slow growers. 



Red oak, white ash, and yellow 

 poplar have been extensively and 

 successfully planted for timber 

 and other products in various 

 parts of the East. Black walnut 

 has been planted for furniture 

 wood and gunstocks. Catalpa, 

 have given splendid results for 



black locust, and Osage orange 

 planting for fence posts. 



Cost of planting is also an influential factor. Some trees de- 

 velop a long branching root system in their early youth, which ren- 

 ders them difficult and expensive to plant. Although some trees 

 have been seeded in directly, yet the best success has been attained 

 by first growing the seedlings in a nursery for a year or two before 

 planting out on the area to be reforested. In this respect yellow 

 poplar, ash, black walnut, locust, red oak, and catalpa are com- 

 paratively easily planted. Cottonwood can be propagated from cut- 

 tings stuck in the ground. 



Freedom from disease from fungi or insects is also a very im- 

 portant factor. For this reason the planting of chestnut at the pres- 

 ent time or until the disastrous bark disease can be successfully com- 

 bated is out of the question. The black locust is also susceptible to 

 the locust borer and for this reason the Pennsylvania and other rail- 

 roads have abandoned planting it. A recent attack on the hickory 

 in the East has also caused some alarm, but with increased care and 



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