26 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



reclothed. It is often cheaper and more satisfactory to plant a 

 forest than to depend on nature's sowing. White pine, chestnut, 

 hickory, ash, oak, maple, and tamarack are among the best trees 

 for planting in Massachusetts, but under some circumstances 

 other trees might be preferable. Mr. Borst has during the past 

 four years made plans for and supervised the planting of consid- 

 erably over one million trees in Massachusetts, and inany more 

 trees are now being grown in nurseries for forest plantations. 

 This year seedlings can be furnished cheaper than ever before. 

 Data from actual experience was presented to show the cost of 

 reforesting lands of different types, and several planting plans 

 were discussed. If the planting is done on sufficiently large 

 scale, say 25, 50, or 100 acres, the cost of planting including the 

 young trees may be from five to fifteen dollars per acre. Ten 

 dollars per acre has frequently been the cost for white pine plant- 

 ing. The proper age and the manner in which to prune and thin 

 a forest was shown. If a stand is thinned too early or thinned 

 too severely much injury can be done, as the trees will thereby 

 become low crowned and produce knotty timber ; and over-thin- 

 ning also endangers a crop to windfall. It was shown that a 

 mature white pine stand can be lumbered, and at the same lime 

 the ground be naturally reset with young pines. Tables were 

 shown giving the volume of timber produced by white i)ine per 

 acre in this State and also data from European planted white 

 })ine forests. Uncared for white pine forest in Massachusetts 

 may produce in sixty years about 30,000 feet of timber, B. M., 

 while under forestry treatment the Euro{)ean figures show that 

 50,000 feet can readily be produced on one acre during the same 

 period of time. White pine plantations have been figured to 

 yield a net annual return of 81.15 per acre paid at the expiration 

 of forty years in addition to four ]>er cent comi)Ound interest on 

 the money invested. Under a diff'ei'ent calculation, using all 

 costs, it is estimated a return of about 1*2.25 per acre per year fo^' 

 forty years from the time of planting to the time of cutting is 

 obtainable. This estimate is corrol)orated by actual experience. 

 These returns are certaiidy very satisfactory, considering the fact 

 that it is secured from land which is almost useless for any other 

 purpose and which, without a timl)er oroj), would be a source of 



