SPECIES FOB PLANTING. 



In general, conifers are best adapted for planting in the region, 

 since lands which are to be devoted to forest are usually too poor to 

 grow hardwoods profitably. Conifers produce a variety of material 

 which is in great demand. They also are far superior to deciduous 

 trees for protective planting. To supply special demands in certain 

 localities, it is sometimes desirable to grow crops of a particular 

 species. Thus, willows may be planted for basket material or fine 

 grades of charcoal ; basswood and cottonwood may be grown for wood 

 pulp, and black locust for fence posts. 



Species which are well suited for planting in the region are white 

 pine, red (Norway) pine, Scotch pine, jack pine, Norway spruce, 

 European larch, tamarack, chestnut, sugar maple, and red oak. 



WHITE PINE (Pinus strobus). 



White pine is suitable for planting on nonagricultural lands 

 throughout the region. Much of the abandoned farm land in the 

 New England States may profitably be planted with white pine, and 

 the tree is well adapted to burned and cut-over forest lands and to 

 watersheds. 



White pine grows best on a fresh, light, deep, and sandy soil with 

 a porous subsoil. It will succeed, however, on a variety of soils, 

 from fresh, medium-heavy clay and loam to dry sands. It will 

 endure windy and cold exposures, but should not be planted near the 

 seacoast, since it will not endure strong sea breezes. 



Plantations of white pine are best established by the use of 3-year- 

 old transplants. The trees should be planted 6 feet apart each way. 

 They may be planted either pure or in mixture with shade-enduring 

 hardwoods or conifers. It is essential, however, that the associated 

 species should be of slower growth, since otherwise they will overtop 

 and kill the planted pine. There are also certain light-demanding 

 species of rapid growth which may be mixed with white pine. 

 These, while they may overtop the pine, cast so light a shade that 

 its development will not be retarded. The more important species 

 for planting in mixture with white pine are chestnut, European 

 larch, Norway spruce, red oak, and sugar maple. Ordinarily, white 

 pine and the associated species should be planted alternately, so that 

 the white pine will make up half the stand. In mixture with chest- 

 nut and European larch, however, white pine should constitute at 

 least two-thirds of the stand. 



Commercial plantations of white pine should be cut when from 40 

 to 70 years old. At this time the trees will be from 50 to 80 feet 

 high and from 12 to 18 inches in diameter. The larger trees will 



[Cir. 100] 



