346 FORESTRY IN NEW ENGLAND 



be found. Hemlock and southern white cedar are both present, 

 and occasionally in commercial quantities. Red cedar is the 

 most abundant conifer. 



A great variety of hardwoods, such as beech, hard and soft 

 maple, hickory, white, red, and black ash, yellow and black 

 birch, tulip tree (or whitewood as it is called in this region), 

 swamp white oak, white and pin oaks, basswood, butternut, and 

 poplar are in mixture with chestnut and the principal oaks. 



Forest Types. 



It is difficult here to distinguish between temporary and per- 

 manent types. The forest in its species and mixtures is not far 

 distant from the original stands, yet, in its regular form, sprout 

 origin, and certain changes in mixture, is quite different from 

 the original growth. Mainly on account of the sprout origin of 

 all but the coniferous stands it is considered best to class all the 

 types as temporary. 



The types are six in number, as follows: 



Temporary Forest Types. 



1. Mixed hardwoods. 



2. Hemlock. 



3. Hardwood swamp. 



4. Cedar swamp. 



5. White pine. 



6. Old field. 



I. Mixed Hardwoods. — This is the most important type 

 commercially and in area. No accurate figures are available, 

 but it is believed that the type covers at least eighty per cent 

 of the forest area. It is common throughout the region and 

 occupies a wide range of sites, from the shallowest soils to those 

 deep and fertile enough for agricultural purposes. The type 

 does not occur on very poor, sandy soils, or on swamp sites. 

 Within it a wide range of composition is included. A mixture 

 of oak and chestnut is characteristic, but all sorts of variations 



