580 Forestry Quarterly 



finally almost completely suppressed by the seedlings of this 

 tree. 



"In the inherent capacity for natural reproduction, or in the 

 advantages for the renewal of its forests by man, the Cuban 

 pine is not surpassed by any other of the species with which it is 

 found associated. This tree commends itself strongly to the tree 

 planter in the coast plain of the lower South. Producing seeds in 

 abundance regularly and with certainty, being less exacting in 

 its demands for direct sunlight, and hence successfully resisting the 

 encroachment of competing species, being less liable to succumb 

 to the destructive agencies of fire on account of its more rapid 

 development in early life, it has greater promise of success than the 

 others. If to this is added the rapid rate of growth, the great 

 value of its timber, being equal to the Longleaf, if not superior, 

 and the abundant yield of its valuable resinous product, it be- 

 comes evident that in the reforestation of the low pine lands of the 

 Southern coast regions the Cuban pine is to be preferred to any 

 other, not only within its original boundaries, but as far beyond its 

 range of natural distribution as the climatic requirements of the 

 tree will permit." 



The curves of growth. Figure 1, and the derived Tables 1 and 2, 

 although based upon totally inadequate data, are presented here 

 for the purpose of calling attention to the marked difference in 

 growth between Longleaf and Slash pine, with a view of showing 

 the superiority of the latter, and in general the need of further 

 investigation. In respect to height, for example. Slash is seen 

 to make very rapid development for the first 25 years as com- 

 pared with Longleaf; at 30 to 35 years, on sites poorer than site 

 II, it averages about the same in height as Longleaf on site I and 

 II. Longleaf, however, appears to be more persistent and at 50 

 years bids fair in a few decades to equal its rival. The average 

 height growth for all trees of the dominant classes of Slash is shown 

 to be greater than that of the predominant trees in Loblolly 

 stands in the central Atlantic States.^ In diameter growth, 

 Figure 1 clearly indicates that Slash early gets a big lead and 

 retains it quite uniformly throughout the period of years shown. 

 Longleaf evidently has a rather narrow range in rate of growth 

 on different sites, while Slash, in accordance with its wide adapta- 

 bility to different soils and environment, consistently shows an 

 increasing range in diameter growth with advancing age. 



•Department of Agrictdture Bulletin No. 11, "Forest Management of 

 Loblolly Pine in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia." 



