valley of the St. Lawrence and in New England; on the hills and 

 limestone flats of the Southern States; on exposed, semiarid situa- 

 tions in Kansas and Nebraska, and on the deep soil of the hummocks 

 of the Gulf Coast, where the annual precipitation is 60 inches. 



In general, it may be said that the best growth is attained in a 

 rather light, loamy soil, containing lime, and that heavy clay and 

 sand are not so favorable. 



Full enjoyment of light is necessary for complete development, but 

 good growth may continue for a few years under the shade of other 

 trees. 



On account of the great variety of conditions under which red 

 cedar occurs, its rate of growth varies widely, but is usually rather 

 slow. 



Fires are highly injurious to red cedar, owing both to its thin bark 

 and to its flat root system. They generally kill all the trees in pure 

 stands. In mixed forests, where the soil is fresher and the fire less 

 fierce, the trees rarely suffer immediate death, but the butts are 

 charred and the decay characteristic of old cedars begins. 



Attacks of various forms of fungi cause such injuries as " cedar 

 apple," " witches' broom," and white and red rot. In the nurseries 

 large numbers of good-sized trees are sometimes destroyed by a blight. 

 A number of destructive boring insects feed on both the living and 

 the dead trees, and the foliage is eaten by certain species of cater- 

 pillars. 



ECONOMIC USES. 



The wood is light and soft, with a fine, compact, even grain, sus- 

 ceptible of a high polish. Its great durability makes it valuable for 

 posts and telegraph poles. In addition to the lead-pencil industry, 

 which annually consumes a large amount of the best grade of mate- 

 rial, various arts and industries make use of the wood. In naval 

 construction it is employed for many purposes. 



The value of red cedar for planting lies in its superior adapta- 

 bility to unfavorable soil and climatic conditions. It stands prun- 

 ing well and hence is largely planted for ornamental purposes, and 

 occasionally for evergreen hedges, though it is not so well adapted 

 for the latter purpose as arborvitse and similar trees. On account of 

 its ability to endure great climatic changes it is a valuable tree for 

 windbreaks on the semiarid plains. In Oklahoma, Texas, New Mex- 

 ico, and in other regions where more rapid growing trees will not 

 thrive, it can be profitably grown for fence posts. 



Generally, faster-growing trees are to be preferred, since even on 

 good soils red cedar timber of the best quality can not be produced in 

 less than from seventy to one hundred and twenty years. 



[Cir. 73] 



