196 PRINCIPLES OF AMERICAN FORESTRY. 



lings should be made up near by, in which should be sown 

 White or Norway Spruce seed, and when the seedlings 

 are three or four years old they should be transplanted 

 to the swamp. It would take at least fifteen years to grow 

 Black Spruce to a height of six feet for Christmas trees, 

 while the Norway Spruce could probably be grown to the 

 same height under same conditions in eight years. About 

 1,800 Christmas trees can be grown on one acre of land 

 to a height of six feet and with a spread of five feet. 

 Spruce may be grown closer together than most other 

 trees for this purpose, because the shaded branches are 

 not easily killed out. 



2. B has a Tamarack swamp in Southern Ontario of 

 800 acres, from which he has cut all the timber big enough 

 for ties. There is practically no demand for the smaller 

 post timber at present, and he asks what he should do 

 with it, and if it will pay him to hold it. I'he land seems 

 to be well stocked with young trees of various ages, some 

 of which have been somewhat broken down in getting 

 out the larger tie timber. 



Answer: Probably the best treatment would be to let 

 it alone. If the land is quite wet, there is very little chance 

 of fire doing much damage to it. If, however, it is liable 

 to be dried out it would be a good plan to take some pre- 

 caution to protect it from fire, if it can be done without 

 too much expense. 



The Tamarack grows very rapidly, and there is perhaps 

 no tree that will pay better than this, providing the taxes 

 are not too high. While there may be no demand at 

 present for the smaller stuff for fence-posts, yet within 

 a few 3^ears such a demand is inevitable, as the more 

 accessible Tamarack is now being rapidly sought after 

 for such purposes, and is being shipped in large quantities 

 to the prairie farms. Such a Tamarack swamp, if carefully 

 looked after, is capable of continuing itself indefinitely 



