REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 33 



campa guttivitta) , an insect now doing a large amount of dam- 

 age in northern New England, is known to eat it at times. 

 The oak is unusually free from borers and bark beetles, and is 

 quite resistant to damage by ground fires. 



Oak wood is heavy, hard, tough, close-grained and very dur- 

 able. White oak has these qualities to a greater degree than the 

 red and black. The wood is used extensively in ship building, 

 tight cooperage, vehicle manufacture, farm implements, ties, 

 interior finish and furniture. So great is the economic value 

 of this wood that the available supply is being rapidly ex- 

 hausted. 



Red Maple (Acer rubrum). 



This tree is partial to wet land, and is our typical swamp 

 tree, growing pure or in company with ash, hornbeam and hem- 

 lock. Like other swamp-land trees, it is very tolerant of shade, 

 although in this condition its growth is slow. 



It bears an abundance of seed each spring. 



Under forest conditions it seldom attains a height of more 

 than 60 feet and a diameter of more than 15 inches. It grows 

 quite rapidly when young, but slacks materially when about 

 thirty years old. 



It is not attacked so readily by gypsy and brown-tail moths 

 as are most of the other hardwoods. 



The wood is lighter, not as strong and more subject to decay 

 than is hard maple, but is sometimes used as a substitute for it. 



It is not a tree that is recommended for forest planting. 



Shagbark Hickory (Hicoria ovata). 



This tree is of increasing importance because of its increas- 

 ing scarcity, due to the heavy demand for hickory wood, a 

 demand caused by its unrivalled good qualities for certain kinds 

 of construction. 



It is primarily a tree of fresh, fertile soils and rich situations 

 along streams, and produces good wood in clay soil. 



It is never found pure to any great extent, but always in mix- 

 ture with other species, and, being very tolerant, will grow well 

 in the shade of the others. 



Seed is borne in a fairly prolific manner every two or three 

 years, but the nuts are largely eaten by weevils and squirrels. 



