LOBLOLLY OK NORTH CAROLINA PINE. 165 



By comparing the values of the thinned stands in Tahle 79 with those 

 given for unthinned stands in Table 71 it is seen that thinnings increase 

 the value of the stands on Qualities I and II. The values of Quality 

 III stands, however, are reduced. This shows as has been pointed out 

 in a previous paper* that "the chief value of the thinnings in the older 

 stands on dry soils is to save the tree which would be lost by dying. 

 There would be comparatively little accelerated growth on this quality 

 for natural thinning takes place so rapidly that there is no prolonged 

 crowding to retard the diameter increment of the dominant trees." 

 Thinnings, however, add greatly to the value of the stands on good sites, 

 and if the value of the material saved in the thinnings is taken into con- 

 sideration they are probably profitable on all sites except the very wet. 

 (Table 79, last column.) 



It should be understood, however, that the theoretical yields for 

 thinned stands which are given in Table 79 are obtainable only under 

 ideal conditions of equal spacing which could not be realized in practice. 

 The crown space for each tree can not be progressively increased to meet 

 its requirements; some trees or some sides of certain trees will at times 

 invariably be crowded ; while on account of the removal of large interven- 

 ing crowns some other trees will have too much space. In practice it is 

 possible to be guided only in a general way by the distance between adja- 

 cent trees, or by the number of trees per acre. The real guide at all times 

 of what trees to remove and how heavily to thin must be the interference 

 of crowns (Plates XI, XIV, XV, XVI, XXVII) and the less promis- 

 ing trees must be removed here and there where the conditions allow it 

 to be done without making extremely large openings in the crown cover. 

 (Plate XXII.) 



Mere thinnings can .seldom be made on large tracts which are managed 

 for the production of sawmill timber and require the building of rail- 

 roads for profitable logging. (Page 137.) Loblolly pine occupies, how- 

 ever, in pure, even-aged stands a large area of farm forest in thickly 

 settled communities, either near towns or near factories which assure a 

 continuous market for cordwood. Such conditions not only render thin- 

 nings possible and profitable for their influence upon the development of 

 the mature stand, but in many cases will be financially profitable by 

 themselves. The farmer, however, can profitably apply intensive meth- 

 ods of management, which are impossible on large tracts. Under certain 

 conditions thinnings can undoubtedly also be made in stands managed 

 for the production of timber for pulp, stave, crate, and heading stock; 

 or for the production of timber for these uses in connection with the pro- 

 duction of large sized timber for saw logs. 



The gradual felling of the larger trees in the even aged loblolly pine 

 stands which has been recommended (pages 151 and following) as a 



Management of Loblolly and Shortleaf Pines, Proc. Soo. Am. Foresters, 1910, Page 97. 



