380 



JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



forest in a condition to produce a second crop in a short time, and to 

 reseed the openings made in the kimbering with young growth of val- 

 uable species." Undoubtedly the spruce cut fifteen years ago provided 

 for the owner "a large revenue from the timber." The "second cut" 

 to which Graves referred is our present stand of spruce ten inches and 

 over in diameter breast high. 



THE PRESENT STAND 



Within the limits of error caused by slight possible differences of 

 opinion as to what constitutes the hardwood type and the inherent in- 



SPRUCE VS TOTAL HARDWOODS 



100 



Fig. 



accuracies of the strip-survey method, the present sample acre may be 

 compared with that of 1898. 



Figure i shows that in 1898 the sample acre of the hardwood type 

 for trees ten inches and over in diameter contained 36.8 per cent of 

 spruce. Today only 16.4 per cent of these trees are spruce. This 

 means a decrease of 55.4 per cent in spruce and a corresponding in- 

 crease of 70.7 per cent in beech and of 47.9 per cent in yellow birch. 



This 16.4 per cent of spruce, representing 930 board feet, cannot be 

 compared with the yield predicted by Graves because his "yield" tables 



