EARLY GROWTH OF SHORTLEAF PINE. 



99 



to 2i inches in iliaiueter. At the :igc of lit'teen to twenty years, with a total heiglit of from 20 to 30 

 feet and a diameter breast high of 4 to 5 inches, the crown of the tree occupies from one-half to 

 five-eighths of its heiglit. Henceforth throiighoiU the period of (piickest growth its rate is greatly 

 influenced by eonditious of light and soil. At the age of lifty years the height of the trees varies 

 between 40 and (!0 feet and the diameter breast high between 10 and 14 inches. About this age, 

 or perhaps a short time before, tlie height growtli begins to decline! and the brandies become 

 somewhat reclining below and spreading toward tlic top, and consequently the head of the tree 

 becomes more rounded in outline. Between the ages of sixty and seventy years the trees are from 

 50 to 70 feet high and from 12 to 15 inches in diameter, with the trunk clear of limbs for 30 to 

 rarely over 40 feet. From this period on the growth proceeds at a slower rate. On reaching its 

 one hundredth year the tree has attained a height between 90 and 95 feet and a diameter of 

 from 10 to 19 inches at most. Having now passed its period of vigorous life, the growth is 

 henceforth insignificant. Between the ages of one hundred and twenty and one hundred and 

 thirty years trees were found 90 to 110 feet high and from 18 to 24 inches in diameter. The oklest 

 tree encountered in the measurements, with two hundred and eight rings of annual growth in 

 the stump, scarcely exceeded 109 feet in height and measured 24 inches in diameter. The largest 

 tree felled was 117 feet higli and 25 inches in diameter, with one hundred and forty-three rings in 

 the stump. Occasionally trees are found of a diameter exceeding 3 feet, but such are exceptional. 



Table I. — Grawth of Shorthaf Pine (Pinua ecUnata), from eight to fifty yeare. 



Number of 



tree. 



1... 

 2... 

 3.. 

 i... 

 5.. 



173 

 138 

 9... 



137 

 6.. 

 5... 

 7. . 

 10. 



8.. 

 136 

 171 

 159 

 135 

 134 

 161 

 160 

 157 

 138 

 170 

 155 



Rings 



iu 

 stump. 



10 

 10 



12 

 11 

 12 

 12 

 12 

 13 

 13 

 13 



15 

 15 

 18 

 19 

 19 

 20 

 19 

 22 

 27 

 24 

 25 

 41 



Diame- 

 ter at 



breast 

 high. 



Inches. 

 2 

 2 



li 



2J 

 2* 



2i 

 2 



3 



2 

 2 

 2i 



3^ 



4 



4 



4 



4 



4 



6 



2J 



3" 



6i 



34 



4 



11 



Height 



to 



first 



limb. 



Feet. 



12 

 10 

 15 

 22 

 10 

 14 

 8J 

 12 

 124 

 22 

 15 

 51 



Total 

 height. 



Feet. 

 11 

 11 

 11 

 17 

 11 



11 

 11 

 20 

 16 

 19 

 16 

 17 

 20 



24 



20 



36 



37 



20 



26 



25* 



25 



25i 



33' 



34 



70 



Locality. 



Cullman, 



do.. 



do... 



do... 



do... 



Ala. 



Bi\-ins, Tex. 

 Grandin, Mo. 

 Cullman, Ala 

 Graudin, Mo. 

 Culhiian, Ala 

 do 



.do. 

 .do. 



do. 



Grandin, Mo. 



Kemarks. 



Clearing made in 1879 for pasture in dense pine thicket. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Rocky hillside, border of thicket. 

 Kocky liillside in dense thicket of vigorous growth; youngest shoot, 



19 inches. 

 Kxposure free in opening of forest. 

 Kocky t.able-land: opening iu forest. 

 Hordcrof thicket; freel.v exposed. 

 Rocky table-land: partially exposed; in forest. 

 Exposed; border of woods. 



Do. 

 In midst of thicket: old clearing. 



Old pasture, cleared in 1879: most vigorous growth; young shoot 19 

 inches. 

 Do. 

 Rocky hills; open forest. 



Uivins, Tex ; Open forest. 



Gurdou, Arlc \ E.Kposure free ; open grove of second growth. 



Oppressed in forest opening by oak scrub. 



Rocky: open woods. 



Open grove; closely oppressed. 



Open grove of second growth. 



Do! 

 Partiallv free : in forest. 

 Free ; old field. 



, Mo. 



Grandin 



do 



Gurdon, Ark... 



do 



do 



do 



Bivins, Tex . . . 

 GurdoD, Ark.. 



