GENERAL CONDITIONS 3 1 



pitch pine and scrub oak in New England and jack pine in the 

 Lake States. All three of these species are capable of standing 

 repeated burnings. Pitch pine and jack pine have thick bark 

 which does not burn readily and their cones are also almost fire- 

 proof. The scrub oak holds its own thru its ability to sprout 

 after being injured. Fire is, in fact, responsible in most cases for 

 the failure of white pine to replace itself. In places where fire is 

 kept out the pine comes in either in pure stands or in mixture 

 with hardwoods. For example, old pastures within the type are 

 quickly covered with pine " bushes " while the hardwoods are 

 kept in check by grazing if the pasture is still used. This results 

 in practically pure stands of pine. If, on the other hand, the 

 hardwoods are not held in check by grazing they frequently 

 occupy the old fields to the apparent exclusion of pine. This 

 is particularly true ^\'ith such light seeded, vigorous species as 

 gray birch and aspen. But the pine slowly but surely works its 

 way in under the thinner crowned hardwoods and eventually 

 replaces them because it is longer lived so that the final result is 

 a nearly pure stand of pine again. In fact white and red pine are 

 so well adapted to the climatic and soil conditions in this type 

 that they can be relied upon to take possession of the ground if 

 they are given even half a chance. 



The commonest subtypes in this type and their composition 

 by number are as follows: 



Pure white pine — over 90 per cent white pine. 



White pine and hemlock — 50 per cent white pine and 50 



per cent hemlock and hardwoods. 

 WTiite pine and gray birch — 60 per cent white pine, 40 per 



cent gray birch. 

 White pine and oak — 40 per cent white pine, 60 per cent 



red, white, and black oak. 

 White pine and pitch pine — 50 per cent white pine and 50 



per cent pitch pine. 



Besides these subtypes based on composition there are also, of 

 course, subtypes due to various degrees of logging, as, for example, 

 virgin, culled, and cutover stands. 



