YIELD OF VOLUXTKEK SECOND CKOWTII oO.'] 



of rapid-growing against slow-growing trees. It is a matter of faulty 

 physical arrangement of the whole crop. Enormous variations in 

 height growth are exhibited by the same species, according to whether 

 the individual stem is a seedling which originated under forest cover, or 

 a sprout from such a seedling, or a sprout from a stump. Furthermore, 

 the size and situation of the stump or stool itself involve still further 

 fluctuations in height growth. Again, a vigorous and symmetrical sap- 

 ling, such as would be abundant in the advanced growth under the 

 previous stand, may by five feet of extra height at the start develop 

 into a destructive wolf tree, even though itself of a valuable species. 

 In other words, it is not possible to reduce the rates of growth and 

 behavior in a stand of different species to the basis of an exact state- 

 ment. Each individual tree has peculiarities of its own, and only the 

 judgment of a person of experience can analyze a stand according to 

 its prospective development. 



The ideal silvical condition for timber production is a well stocked 

 and evenly distributed stand of trees in which all are of valuable spe- 

 cies and of such uniform height growth that the general crown canopy 

 will develop evenly. An early weeding, therefore, should have for its 

 object the best distribution of the best available trees and a uniformity 

 of height and height growth such that there will be an early closing of 

 the crown cover and the certainty that the desirable species will at least 

 keep pace with any inferior trees that may have to be left. 



Table 6. — Average Heights up to Six Years Old of White Pine and the Sprouts 

 of Six Associated Species 



Average heights in feet 



^ A 



Red Gray Red White Sugar White 



Age, years nia))le birch Poplar oak ash Chestnut maple pine 



1 3 4 2^ 2 2 3 2 



2 5 7 4 4 4 6 4 .4 



3 7 9 6 6 6 9 6 .8 



4 9 10 8 7 7 II 8 1.5 



5 I-' II II 10 10 13 II 3.0 



6 14 12 16 13 13 15 13 4.0 



Based on approximately 800 mcasurciTunts. Quality, I. 



Reference- to Table 6 will show the difficulty of aciiicving this result. 

 Speaking in general, the dominant new growth on a cut-over area will 

 be between 12 and 15 feet in height (at the end of six years), when 

 white pine of the same age and not retarded by overhead shade will 

 have reached the height of only four feet. Furthermore, owing to 

 dense and bushy development, the sprouts of desirable species like white 

 ash may be quite as worthless in jirospcct as tiiosc of red maple. Be- 

 tween the two extremes of height growth, as represented by the hard- 



