1 904 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



425 



years ago. The larger were probably 

 small trees when the ground was cut 

 over thirty years ago. The smaller trees 

 have grown an average of 7.2 inches in 

 height and . i inch in diameter per 

 year. This is not a very good growth, 

 but this species makes better progress 

 after the first ten years than before. 



Size of Chcny /Urc/i (Betula /en/a). 



No. of tree. 



Diameter Height 

 in inches, in feet. 



6- 



4. . 



5- 

 6.. 



12 

 I 

 I 



i- 



2 



8 



40 

 10 



10 

 12 



M 

 40 



05 



The cherry birch grows quite rapidly 

 and makes a good cover for the hemlock. 

 The average increase in height for the 

 years 1901-1902 was 12 inches. 



Size of Other Trees. 



Species. 



Diameter Height 

 in inches, in feet. 



Juglans cinerea 6 18 



Juglans cinerea 3 18 



Juglans cinerea 3 18 



Acer nigrtini .:.... 1.5 12 



Acer nigrum 10 35 



North slope of one of the branches of 

 the Kickapoo River : 



Species. Per cent 



Pinus strobus 27 



Tilia americana. 29 



Betula papyrifera 9 



Quercus macrocarpa 4 



Quercus alba. . 4 



Quercus rubra 3 



Quercus tinctoria i 



Carpinus caroliniana 7 



Populus tremuloides i 



Acer nigrum 9 



Prunus serotina. 3 



Cratcegus tomeutosa 3 



The shrubs found as an undergrowth 

 of this formation consist chiefly of the 

 following species : Hazelnut, Corylus 

 americana; beaked hazelnut, C. rostrata; 

 Viburnum lentago, Salix humilis, Dier- 

 villa trifida, Lonicera sullivantii ; on the 

 more sandy slopes, dry exposed situa- 

 tions, the I'accinium pennsylvanicum. 



Of the herbaceous vegetation the fol- 

 lowing plants are more or less frequent: 

 Hieradum canadcnsc, Mitclla diphylla, 

 Geranium maculatum, Dodecathcon mea- 

 dia, Ptcris aquilina, Oenothera fruticosa, 



Poly gala senega, and Comandra umbel - 

 lata. 



The white pine occurring in this vi- 

 cinity was cut many years ago, but a 

 very good stand of second-growth white 

 pine has made its appearance along with 

 the deciduous trees. It consists, there- 

 fore, essentially of a mixed forest of 

 white pine, white birch, oak, hornbeam, 

 and quaking asp. 



4. The Ridge Formation. Originallv 

 the region was covered with a splendid 

 growth of hardwood species. The tim- 

 ber here was very dense, and to make 

 way for farms this fine timber was cut, 

 put in large piles, and burned. Some 

 of these ridges frequently contained solid 

 bodies of either white or red or black 

 oak; hence the common name white-oak 

 ridge or black-oak ridge. Most of the 

 original timber has long since been re- 

 moved, although in a few instances some 

 few areas are still remaining. The soil 

 consists of a black humus on the surface 

 from a few inches to a half foot in thick- 

 ness. Underneath the humus is a yellow 

 clay soil somewhat tenacious, but well 

 adapted for the growth of forest trees. 

 The soil, unless renewed by fertilizers or 

 pastures, soon wears out, especially so 

 since it is much subject to washing. 

 During the last fifteen years enormous 

 gullies have been formed, especially on 

 the sides where the soil was cultivated. 

 Such areas are certainly much better 

 adapted for the growth of forest trees 

 than for cultivated crops. 



The percentage of different species of 

 timber varies greatly, depending some- 

 what upon the character of the soil. As 

 a sample illustration of the kind of 

 plants that grow upon soils that are 

 somewhat affected by the St. Peter sand- 

 stone, the following may serve as an 

 illustration : 



RIDGE HEAVY CLAY SOIL. 

 Species. Percent 



Quercus alba 4 



Quercus rubra 29 



Quercus tinctoria 7 



Populus grandidentata 32 



Carya alba and amara 13 



Populus tremuloides. ... 14 



In other instances the white oak may 

 form 40 to 50 per cent of the growth of 

 the native timber. Jn this case the soil 



