134 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



deotly set for a wind-break, they being not more than four 

 feet from each other. They are large, with many strong, 

 angular branches, resembling oaks in form rather than pines, 

 and containing as much timber as those less exposed, but not 

 of so good a quality. This lot was examined, in 1876, by 

 an experienced lumber man, with a view to buying it ; his 

 estimate of the wood at that time was 75 cords to the acre. 

 About two-thirds of this wood, or timber, is suitable for box- 

 boards, worth at the mill, three miles distant, six dollars per 

 cord. No arithmetical process is required to show this to 

 be a profitable investment. The late Mr. Richard Sampson of 

 Middleborough set pines on land too poor to cultivate, which 

 are now 31 years old, and the wood is now estimated to be 

 worth $150 per acre ; and if the worth of an article is what it 

 will bring in market, a much higher figure would better repre- 

 sent its value. This piece, which contains about ten acres, is 

 remarkably thrifty, and its growth during the next decade 

 will greatly increase its value. The groves of which we have 

 spoken may well be styled self-made groves. Excepting the 

 occasional removal of a dead tree, they have received no 

 treatment calculated to hasten their growth or improve the 

 quality of the timber. 



One noticeable feature in all the groves I have examined 

 is a want of uniformity in the size of the trees ; though all 

 are nearly equal in height, j^et they vary in diameter from 

 10 to 20 inches. Occasionally we find a tree of the small- 

 est size, which has struggled for equality from 10 to 20 

 years, when it is overpowered by its big and thrifty neigh- 

 bors, while the largest trees appear to live out all their days 

 and die of old age. The foregoing instances of rapid 

 growth and satisfactory results are not exceptional cases, 

 they were selected because I was better able to get the items 

 relating to their history more in detail than I could of other 

 groves. Plantations of pines from 5 to 30 years of age may 

 be found in Norton, Mansfield, Taunton, Raynham, eastern 

 Randolph, Middleborough and the Bridgewaters, all giving 

 promise of remunerative results. In investigating this sub- 

 ject I have l)een somewhat perplexed at the wide range of 

 opinion found to exist in regard to the details of pine cult- 

 ure. One gentleman says that they should not stand nearer 



