YIELD OF VOLUNTEER SECOND GROWTH oOo 



In the case described below this equality of height growth seems to 

 be reached after the eighth growing season and in consequence of two 

 weedings. The figures in Table 7 apply to tlie same cut-over area from 

 which was taken the summary of reproduction in Plot I. Thev repre- 

 sent, however, not a single plot, but measurements taken at random. 

 The young stand was first weeded at the end of the fourth growing 

 season. Three years later the forest weeds had again reached a sufifi- 

 cient height and rate of growth to threaten the progress of the trees 

 which had been released. A second weeding was therefore carried out. 

 The measurements given in Table 7 were made two years after this 

 second weeding, with the purpose of showing how near the current 

 height growth of the trees selected for the final stand had come to 

 equaling the height growth of the weed trees, already twice cut. Com- 

 parison of the rates shown in this table with those in Table 6 will show 

 that, in general, the desirable trees were making height enough to keep 

 them ahead of all but a very few of the weeds. It is reasonable, there- 

 fore, to conclude that two weeding operations applied before the sev- 

 enth year will sufifice to set free 70 to 80 per cent of the selected trees. 



The cost of the weeding, described above, and of a number of others 

 carried out during the same period is many times justified by the final 

 return. On the basis of wages obtaining at the time (1912-1916). it 

 cost from two to two and a half dollars per acre for each weeding. A 

 person used to the work can easily accomplish from ah acre to an acre 

 and a half a day. Making proper allowance for necessary supervision, 

 the costs to date for the two operations can be put at $7.50 per acre. 

 Assuming that the crop was thereafter in condition to prosper without 

 further treatment, this amounts to having secured a highly valuable 

 reproduction for less than the average cost of planting an acre of pine. 

 At present prices this cost would undoubtedly be increased by from two 

 to three dollars ; but, on the other hand, the prices of all kinds of timber 

 yielded by wood lots have also risen sharply. Average white-pine box 

 boards arc now bringing at least $27 a thousand feet ; second growth 

 red oak, $30 and upward ; even red maple, sound and straight, brings 

 $20 at the factory. These prices all apply to timber between fifty and 

 sixty-five years old and to qualities of lumber which are inferior to 

 what might fairly be expected in the well-stocked stands resulting from 

 early release cuttings. That superior straightness and iniiformitv can 

 thus be brought about is plain to see in fig. 2, which illustrates the ci>n- 

 dition of the reproduction summarized in Plot T after nine years of 

 growth and two weedings. On this particular area the unusual vigor 

 and density of white ash made it desirable to favor that species at the 



