THE WHITE PINE REGION 309 



to the pure white pine type. Old fields or pine land which have 

 been cut clear are the sites on which the type occurs. These 

 are the same situations as those chosen by the pure white pine 

 type. Sandy soils are preferred. 



In composition the stand contains pine, gray birch, soft maple, 

 and poplar, all Hght-seeded species and capable of seeding up 

 open lands. Occasionally oak occurs in the type. Soft maple is 

 most abundant where the soil is not very sandy. Occasionally 

 on the poorest soil pitch pine takes the place of white pine. Pine 

 may not be present at the time that the stand is starting, but 

 may seed in underneath the hardwoods, as does red spruce in the 

 spruce region. This is not a stable association, since the pine 

 will finally kill out the gray birch and poplar, by passing them in 

 height growth and suppressing them. Soft maple, however, due 

 to its tolerance and rapid growth, is on the better and moister 

 soils able to keep up with the pine. On poor soils, like the birch 

 and poplar, it may be crowded out by the pine. The pure white 

 pine type results from this reversion. The percentage of the 

 different species shows great variation from nearly pure stands 

 of any one of the four to complicated mixtures. 



The type is even-aged or occasionally two storied in form. 

 The question might arise as to whether this type is not an original 

 and permanent t>^e, being composed of pine and mixed hard- 

 woods, which formed the bulk of the original forest. But the 

 hardwoods found in this type are entirely different species from 

 those prominent in the original mixed forest. The hardwoods 

 in the pine and inferior hardwoods type are light-seeded species, 

 all but soft maple being relatively short-lived, and all of low 

 commercial importance. In the original forest such hardwoods 

 as red and white oak, chestnut, and white ash were mixed with 

 the pine, giving the stand quite a different character. 



In the pine and inferior hardwoods type the character of the 

 growth is poor. The pine develops slowly and is usually branchy 

 and of inferior form. Its slow development is accounted for by 

 the fact that the hardwoods, growing more rapidly when young, 

 get ahead of the pine. This is true even when the pine and 



