THE WILD WOODS 17 



weaker trees, by removing the useless limbs, and by 

 making our trees shoot up as straight, long-shafted poles. 



The question now arises : Would spruce and other toler- 

 ant trees clean as easily as these intolerant ones? Hardly ; 

 their very tolerance depends on the fact that their leaves 

 can live and work in denser shade. But if they do not 

 clean so well, would the boards cut from these trees be as 

 clear or have as few knots as those of pine and chestnut ? 

 Next time we are in the lumber yard we will find out if 

 this be true. 



Since crowding and shading make the trees shoot 

 straight up and prevent their branching or forking, it 

 has often been claimed that shade makes trees grow faster 

 in height. This may sometimes be true ; frequently it is 

 not. This growth in height is, of course, very important, 

 and it is well that we should learn all we can about it. 



In going about these openings and thickets we notice 

 that the shoots from the smaller stumps of chestnut, etc., 

 grow very long even during the first 3'ear. Many of 

 these sprouts are over four feet long, and if we compare 

 tliem witli the seedlings it is evident that the sprouts are 

 by far tlie faster growers. Among the seedlings we find 

 some that made ten to fifteen inches the first year, but 

 the little seedlings of pine are scarcely three inches tall. 



If we examine the little trees three to eight feet high, 

 we note that it is not always so easy to tell just what 

 is the last season's growth in trees like oak. elm, etc., 



