REPORT ON FORESTS. 29 



of this last size are quite as common as those of 24 inches in 

 diameter and 60 feet in height in the Highlands. 



In Union county, trees 24 inches in diameter are about the 

 largest in the forest. Further southwest, all over the red sand- 

 stone district of Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon and Mercer 

 counties, timber ranging up to 36 inches in diameter is met with 

 and sometimes this is exceeded, 48 inches being occasionally 

 reached. Generally 36 inches is fully as frequent in proportion 

 to the amount of forest acreage as is 24 inches in the Highlands. 



The clay and marl district produces as large trees as the red 

 sandstone, but, taken as a whole, the latter will show a larger 

 average yield per acre in standing timber. 



In the Pines the range is from the low brush of the " Plains," 

 a view of which accompanies this report, up to the heaviest 

 pine, ranging from 8 to 18 inches in diameter and about 70 feet 

 high, and this original pine may be accompained by deciduous 

 trees up to 22 inches diameter. Timber as large as this is not 

 usual, however, and ordinarily second-growth pine does not 

 much exceed 10 inches in diameter. Owing to the ravages of 

 fires and other causes a very large proportion of the timber is 

 small, stunted and of little value, particularly so as the common 

 pine, at its best, is not a valuable timber. 



In the cedar swamps the range is up to about 15 or 16 inches 

 in diameter and 70 feet high, but a diameter of 12 inches is not 

 often exceeded by any considerable number of trees at the 

 present/ date. 



The above notes have no reference to exceptionally large 

 trees, but describe the ordinary run of timber in the forest. 



LARGE TREES. 



During our surveys, many trees large enough to attract atten- 

 tion during an ordinary inspection of the forest were noted. 

 These notes were not exhaustive, nor was a special search made 

 for large trees, but a list of them will afford an idea of the size 

 of the larger trees of the State. In the Highlands, the large 

 trees were confined almost entirely to the valleys. 



