26 THE ADIRONDACK SPRUCE 
sixteen trees, with an average diameter of 13 inches, 
was one inch in thirteen years. 
HARD MAPLE 
Hard Maple (Acer barbatum, Michx.) reaches a 
height of go to 100 and a diameter of nearly 3 feet. 
Of Hard Maples over 1o inches in diameter there are 
in the Park about six sound trees per acre, with an 
average diameter of 14 inches. In favorable situations 
these trees form long clear trunks and narrow compact 
crowns. They grow on high ground in fresh and 
rather deep soil, but not in swamps, and are most 
abundant on northerly slopes and high flats. 
Hard Maple reproduces itselt prolifically, and is tol- 
erant of heavy shade both in youth and in later life. 
When the hardwood forest is thinned dense thickets of 
Hard Maple come up, often to the exclusion of all other 
species. 
The growth in diameter under the present conditions 
is slow. Measurements were taken of sixteen trees 
which averaged 15 inches in diameter, and the average 
current rate of growth was found to be one inch in di- 
ameter in sixteen years. 
HEMLOCK 
The Hemlock (7suga canadensis, (Linn.) Carr.) is 
found in all parts of the Park, but reaches its best de- 
velopment on the borders of streams and on the low 
flats above the swamps. In such situations it is usually 
