924 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



the past. Their opinions are based upon the results of 

 experimental plantations extending over almost a cen- 

 tury, and in particular upon those established during the 

 past thirty years. 



The Cottonwood was introduced into Europe in 1772. 

 It is now planted extensively in the inundation district of 

 the Rhine, especially in the vicinity of the city of Karls- 

 ruhe. It is one of the most rapid-growing species in 

 Germany. According to Hartig, it may attain a height 

 of 47 to 53 feet in twelve years, and 72 feet in forty 

 years. Near Karlsruhe, in thirty-one years one specimen 

 attained a height of 102 feet, a diameter of 22 inches 

 and contained more than one-half a cord of wood. 

 Other single sf)e- 

 cimens in forty to 

 fifty years have 

 yielded over a cord 

 of wood. The 

 German foresters 

 usually set out one- 

 year-old plants 

 raised from cut- 

 tings. Lately, how- 

 ever, they have 

 started to raise 

 some of the plants 

 from seeds. This 

 tree on account of 

 its rapid growth. 

 its suitability for 

 pulpwood, and its 

 natural wide distri- 

 bution in the east- 

 earn and middle 

 United States, 

 should play an im- 

 portant role in the 

 future forests of 

 eastern North 

 America. 



The tulip tree, also known as the yellow poplar, was 

 introduced into Europe in 1663. Most of the older 

 specimens are found in parks, gardens, and about castles. 

 It is not hardy in the extreme northern part of Germany 

 nor the high mountainous region in the southern part. 

 According to recent German experiments it can be estab- 

 lished best if set out in spring just after it has started 

 to put forth its new shoots. This rvecessitates a careful 

 handling of the plants. In the municipal forest of 

 Heidelberg is a young plantation covering 1}4 acres and 

 containing about 3,500 specimens. Heidelberg is located 

 in one of the mildest regions of Germany, and, as should 

 be expected, the plantation is in a very thrifty condition. 



Among the other American hardwoods which have 

 been introduced rather extensively may be mentioned 

 the black walnut, wild black cherry, and the shellbark 

 hickory. In addition to these species one often meets 

 experimental plantations or isolated groups of butternut. 



WHITE PINE AND DOUGLAS FIR 



Ebersberger Park Forest, Germany 



Three specimens are white pine. The fence protects the plantation from deer and Rabbits. 



The 

 The plantation is 12 years old and the largest Douglas fir is 28 feet in height, 

 fir surpasses white pine in height growth 



sugar maple, white ash, black birch, and yellow birch. 

 Many other species have been introduced which will 

 never be used for other than ornamental purposes. 



White pine, the former nucleus of the American lum- 

 ber industry, was introduced into England in 1705, and 

 shortly afterward into Germany. It was the first exotic 

 coniferous species naturalized into Germany and Austria- 

 Hungary. No native European conifer surpasses it in 

 height and volume growth. In ten years it may attain 

 a height of 10 to 15 feet, in twenty years 26 to 30 feet, 

 in forty years 53 to 60 feet, in eighty years 92 to 95 feet, 

 and in one hundred years 105 to 110 feet. The largest 

 white pine trees in Germany have reached a height of 



130 to 135 feet and 

 a diameter of 5 

 feet. 



As early as 1794 

 a Hessian hunting 

 master, the for- 

 ester of his day, 

 brought some 

 white pine seeds 

 with him from 

 Ameiica, with 

 which he planted 

 about 15 acres of 

 land near Tripp- 

 stadt, in Rhenish 

 Bavaria. This 

 stand has now 

 passed the century 

 mark and contains 

 specimens 25 to 35 

 inches in diameter 

 breast high. All 

 the seeds which 

 these trees pro- 

 duced until 1893 

 were collected for 

 commercial pur- 

 poses. Since 1893 no seeds have been collected because 

 the seed-collecting business became less lucrative and 

 the forester in charge wished to experiment with natural 

 seed regeneration of white pine. For the past twenty- 

 two years nature's agents have disseminated the seeds 

 of these pines with the result that the oldest regeneration 

 is now closed or complete while the younger regenera- 

 tion is still open or incomplete, as shown in accompany- 

 ing illustrations. The natural regeneration was, how- 

 ever, assisted by a superficial working of the soil, and by 

 planting open or fail spots. Extended incomplete re- 

 generation cannot be tolerated where soil prices are high. 

 Some of the older specimens of this stand have been cut 

 and marketed. The prices obtained per 1000 board feet 

 in the log in the forest varies with the diameter. The 

 subjoined schedule will give the prices of white pine and 

 a few other coniferous species : 



Douglas 



