The Society of American Foresters 1 has recog- 

 nized three forms of tree growth : 



1. "A sprout is a tree which has grown from a 



stump or root. (A sucker is a tree growing 

 from a root.)" Beech and Aspen are the 

 only trees which sprout from roots in this 

 vicinity. 



2. "A seedling is a tree grown from seed." 



3. "A seedling sprout is a sprout resulting from 



the cutting of a seedling or small sapling. 

 This is differentiated from coppice sprout or 

 shoot because of its subsequent behavior." 

 Seedling sprouts also occur from seedlings 

 killed back by fire and other causes just as 

 sprouts grow from stumps of trees killed by 

 fire, the chestnut disease, etc. 



Of these three forms the sprout is the poorest 

 for timber production because the portions of the 

 old root system which are not used by the sprout 

 soon decay and carry the decay back into the 

 heart of the new tree. This accounts for the 

 decay which is characteristically found in the 

 butts of sprout trees. In the days when a high 

 yield of cordwood was desired for the iron, brass 

 and brick industries a short rotation of sprouts 

 was most profitable. Now that high grade timber 

 is desired, the sprout is the least desirable form 

 to perpetuate to old age. 



Seedling sprouts use the root system of the 

 previous generation in its entirety. Thus the 

 seedling sprout approaches the true seedling in 



1 Yale Univ. School of Forestry Bui. No. 15 by Leffelman 

 & Hawley. 



31 



