284 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION. 



July, 



sis. However, considerable data on di- 

 ameter increment was secured by means 

 of " Pressler's accretion borer," and in 

 this manner recent diameter growth can 

 be approximately determined. 



Two Red Cedars on Lee Island, Fre- 

 mont, Nebra,ska, were examined to learn 

 the rate of height and diameter growth. 

 These trees grew where the water level 

 is not greater than 2 feet, where the sub- 

 soil is sand, and the surface soil is an 

 alluvial deposit from 6 to 8 inches in 

 depth. The conditions for growth were 

 good, and these trees were cut from a 

 pure stand of Red Cedar. 



An examination was also made of two 

 trees on an island at Central City, Ne- 

 braska. These were intermingled with 

 a dense growth of Green Ash, White 

 Elm, and Hackberry, besides a number 

 of shrubs, such as Prickly Ash and Dog- 

 wood. The soil formation is similar to 

 that of Lee Island at Fremont, and the 

 water table is two to six feet below the 

 surface. The conditions for growth are 

 fair. The average height of the four 

 trees analyzed was 28.4 feet ; the aver- 

 age diameter, 6.9 inches; the average 

 annual height growth, .77 of a foot ; 

 and the average annual diameter growth, 

 .22 of an inch. 



Several trees were also examined on 

 the river bluffs in the locality of Lee 

 Island, and it was found that they, too, 

 showed an annual diameter growth of 

 .22 of an inch. Situation, in this case 

 at least, made no difference. 



The following figures show the rate 

 of diameter growth of the Red Cedar in 

 two widely separated regions, both pre- 

 senting strikingly different soil forma- 

 tions : 



The above data is interesting from 

 the fact that the measurements made in 

 the sand-hills of the Dismal River re- 



gion show a decided increase in diameter 

 growth over that of the same species in 

 the Scotts Bluff region, the latter being 

 commonly considered more favorable to 

 the growth of Red Cedar. 



The diameter growth, as well as the 

 height growth of the Red Cedar of Ne- 

 braska, compares favorably with that of 

 northern Alabama, as noted in a recent 

 bullelin* published by the Bureau of 

 Forestry. The average annual height 

 growth for Alabama is i foot for the first 

 37 years, that of Nebraska being .77 of 

 a foot. The average annual diameter 

 growth for Alabama is .15 of an inch ; 

 that of Nebraska . 2 1 of an inch. These 

 figures show a difference in average 

 height growth of . 23 of a foot in favor of 

 Alabama, while on the other hand they 

 show a difference in diameter growth of 

 .06 of an inch in favor of Nebraska. 



When the favorable conditions for tree 

 growth in northern Alabama are con- 

 trasted with the unfavorable conditions 

 of western Nebraska, it is encouraging 

 to the tree planter to consider the above 

 figvires. 



The reproduction of Red Cedar in 

 Nebraska is good. In no locality where 

 seed trees occur is reproduction lacking. 

 Where seed trees are scarce, naturally 

 reproduction is limited. In many places 

 the growth is sufficiently dense to create 

 in course of time true forest conditions; 

 but, on the other hand, there are many 

 areas where only a tree is growing here 

 and there along the bluffs, and in such 

 places forest conditions will be absent 

 for years to come. If these scattering 

 specimens are permitted to develop into 

 seed trees, the surrounding areas will 

 eventually be seeded and a substantial 

 stand of trees will be produced. 



The best reproduction in the state is 

 on Lee Island, at Fremont. Here, as 

 has been mentioned before, the condi- 

 tions for tree growth are excellent. Re- 

 cent reproduction is very noticeable, and 

 seedlings one-half to one inch high are 

 seen in great abundance. In the shade 

 of some tree or shrub of moderately 

 dense foliage young red cedar seedlings 



* Notes on the Red Cedar by Dr. Chas. Mohr. 

 Bulletin 31, Bureau of Forestry, U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. 



