44 01 \oi: MI < \K"i I \ \ PIN I-.. 



\Yhen loblolly pine urow- on good sites associated with hardwoods, 



we! -op the hardw ..... Is, spreading their crown" 



leeuring full light in that way. The sweet gum and 



\elle.\\ poplar are the only as-o.-iaied tree" which are not overtopped. 



In Mich hardwood font's the young pines appearing as single stem- in 



lure much lateral compression to an age of ahont li'o years, 



\\hen tlit-v generally overtop the hardw ..... Is. In s|iite of its intolerance 



-Made the pine SUCOeedfl in forming a considerahle element in for. 



ide-toleraiit species, .-ei/ing hy its ahundaiit -ceding 

 .in-- can-ed fiom windfall, lire, or hnnhering, and hy its rapid 

 .'.th outstripping competitor- that would otherwise overtop and sup- 

 .eneath their sha<le. ( I'lales XXIV to XXVII.) 



Loblolly pine reproduces it-elf prolifically because of its high per- 

 <!/ 'iind seed with excellent germinating power, the hardiness of 



the young seedling, and the varying degrees of light, moisture, and soil 



.' hidi it is inured. Its ahility to establish itself under adverse con- 

 ditions is further aided hy the early rapid development of a vigoroti- 

 root system, accompanied hy an extremely rapid height growth, which 



u- the second year and soon raises the crown above grass, \\-< 

 and slower growing competitors, and by the thick bark which hy the 

 time it is a sapling affords excellent protection against fire. Xo other 

 an successfully compete with it, under existing conditions, over 

 three-fourths of the coastal plain, .Neglected hy both cattle and h 

 it is suhjcct neither to the browsings which suppress broadleaf specie- 

 nor to rhe destruction to which the longleaf pine is exposed hy having 

 hoth it- seed and roots eaten by hogs. 



SEEDING. 



Loblolly pine seeds abundantly nearly every year. From 60 to !() per 

 cent of the seed from large trees are viable. The seeds are light (about 

 17,000 to 20,000 cleaned seed to a pound) with large, tenacious wings, 

 in consequence of which they are widely disseminated by the wind upon 

 the maturing and opening of the cones after frost or late in autumn. 

 Lter part of the seed is scattered during the months of .November 

 and December, hut many cones do not open, or entirely open, until con- 

 ridembly later, so that some -eed does not fall until spring. The dis- 

 which the seed is scattered varies with the height of the trees 

 and the velocity of the wind. A> a rule in two seasons ;m nrea will be 

 fairly thickly seeded by wind-.-own seed to a distance of HH) yards from 

 mi adjoining forest of tall, seed-hearing tree-, if the prevailing winds 

 during the season, when the cone- are opening, are favorable. (Plate 

 IV. i Seeding is progres.-ive. and the -locking will not be uniform 

 but den-er near the <eed trees. Near the coast the prevailing winds 

 during the winter are from the east and northea-t; farther inland they 

 m the north 



