54 



COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



The average diameter of 20 white pine in this stand was 6.7 inches and the 

 average age 70 years, so the growi;h was 1 inch in diameter in 10.4 years. Balsam 

 reproduction was abmidant beneath the stand, in the densest portion yielding 109 

 to the square rod. They were not over four feet high and ranged between 12 and 

 19 years old. 



The larger area was severely burned after the lumbering of about 35 years ago 

 The difference in the character of the stands arising from that fire aUows a differen- 

 tiation into several well defined site classes, \'iz : the tops of the ridges, the base 

 of slopes and the flats between the ridges — the latter being the best, the first the poor- 

 est as regards pine reproduction Sample plots taken on these sites reveal the 

 composition given in the three tables below. 



Number of Trees per Acre, Top of Ridge 



Species— 



Poplar 



Paper Birch. 

 White Pine. 

 Pin Cherry . 

 Red Pine. . . 



Total. . . 

 Per cent . 



Poles 



30 



90 

 23.1 



Saplings 



170 



80 



10 



40 



300 



76.9 



Total 



170 



100 



50 



40 



30 



390 



Per cent 

 43.6 

 25.6 

 13.0 

 10.2 

 7.6 



100.0 



Species — 



Poplar 



White Pine. . 



Balsam 



Paper Birch. . 



Red Pme 



White Spruce . 



Number of Trees per Acre at the Base of Slopes 



Total.... 

 Per cent . 



Poles 

 10- 



20 



30 

 6.3 



Saplings 

 170 

 140 



90 



10 



20 



20 



450 

 93.7 



Total 

 180 

 140 

 90 

 30 

 20 

 20 



480 



Per cent 



37.5 



29.2 



18.7 



6.2 



4.2 



4.2 



100.0 



Number of Trees per Acre on Flats between Ridges 



Species — 

 White Pine . . 



Poplar 



White Spruce . 

 Paper Birch . . 

 Tamarack. . . 

 Red Maple . . 

 Red Oak 



Poles 

 100 

 30 



Total... 

 Per cent . 



130 

 26.6 



Saphngs 

 170 

 110 

 30 

 20 

 10 

 10 

 10 



360 

 73.4 



100.0 



These plots represent patches which escaped a second fire that ran over the area 

 15 years later. The results of this later fire are their stands now 20 years old. Sam- 

 ple plots made in these indicate 250 poplar, 190 sugar maple, 20 pin cherry, 10 white 

 pine and 10 red pine saplings per acre. 



About 5,000 acres of the 16,000 acres were burned a third time 10 years ago 

 arid the result is a region of poplar and birch thickets, of hazel and bracken fern, 

 with no reproduction of pine, although the skeletons of young trees indicate their 

 former presence. 



The old bum south of Salmon lake and Devil lake has apparently never been 

 re-burned and its reproduction is excellent. There are frequent patches several 

 acres in extent of red pine and white pine, and the general average of pine repro- 

 duction may be takf-n as that given in the tables above for the area burned only 

 once. Alcug the •southern shores of Salmon lake and in moist situations farther 

 inland a thick un iergrowth of balsam is found under the birch and poplar. This 

 area of ggod reproduction of coniferous species covers about 6,000 acres. 



