June, 1937] Land Utilization in New Hampshire 15 



Type and Species 



Northern hardwood type predominated and represented approxi- 

 mately three-fourths of the timberland. (Table 5) Spruce-hard- 

 woods and spruce-fir were next with 11.4 and 8 per cent respectively. 



Spruce made up about one-third of the total volume. Total soft- 

 woods comprised 52.6 per cent of the total volume. The chief hard- 

 woods were yellow birch, maple, beech, and white birch, representing 

 respectively 11.7, 10.8. 8, and 6.6 per cent of the total volume.' 



Table 5. Forest cover in Dorchester by types. 



In age distribution the areas of 100-year and 30-year classes were 

 large (Fig. 2). The former is accounted for by heavy cuttings of vir- 

 gin timber in the decade preceding 1840, and the latter by the cutting 

 of a large area in about 1900 for pulpwood. There were practically no 

 stands 80 or 90 years of age. In general, the age distribution and the 

 rapidity of growth offer reasonable opportunity for forest manage- 

 ment. 



Quality 



In the process of lumbering, the more valuable trees and species have 

 been taken out. The stand has evidently been culled over again and 

 again in search for ash, maple, white birch, or other species that hap- 

 pened to be in demand at the time ; the quality of the timber growth 

 has thus steadilj' declined, and cull and weed trees have become domi- 

 nant. This situation not only checks total annual growth of the young- 

 er trees but reduces the quality. 



The more recent portable mill operations have left areas growing 

 up to brush. These are of considerable potential value if properly 

 thinned to release the thrifty trees, but of little use for a good many 

 years under the existing competition of growth. 



^ A detailed cover map showing areas by type and age classes for Dor- 

 chester is available for reference at the Experiment Station. 



