Eothrock.] ^oZ [March 2, 



Forest restoration in this Commonwealth should be mainly confined to 

 two classes of ground — first, that which is fit for nothing else and other- 

 wise would be unproductive, and second, that which is worn out by un- 

 productive agriculture, and which would be more promptly and cheaply 

 restored to virgin fertility by a return to primitive conditions. It is prob- 

 ably a safe estimate, as already indicated, that there are not less than six 

 thousand square miles of territory which belong to one or the other of 

 these classes ; or to put the statement in another way, about one-eighth of 

 the area of the State. 



It is well to urge, that for the present and the immediate future, public 

 or private forest operations of a restorative character should be confined 

 mainly to such native forest trees as make the most certain and speedy 

 growth. This would not necessarily exclude such trees as the oaks, for 

 under iavorable conditions these may be classed as rapid growers when 

 compared with related trees elsewhere. 



The most promising of the native trees would be white pine, chestnut, 

 locust, black walnut ; and on rich soil, shellbark, hickory and white oak. 

 Hemlock culture will eventually become a necessity to tiie Common- 

 wealth, but owing to its slow growth and its uncertain success had better 

 not at present be urged. White oak is a tree of wide growth and there- 

 fore not so immediately in danger of becoming below our actual wants in 

 quantity. Chestnut grows freely over a wide range of conditions ; in other 

 words, its natural tendency is to take care of itself. These facts make 

 white pine the one tree whose immediate culture is most promising and 

 most needed. How shall its restoration be most successfully undertaken ? 

 There are two methods, which we may properly designate as the nursery 

 method and the method in final position. The former is probably not 

 soon likely to become popular. Hence the latter method is the one most 

 certain to lead to successful results in this country. The young trees ot 

 this species are sensitive, as most cone-bearing trees are, to excess of sun- 

 light. It should be started under the shadow of an existing open forest 

 cover which is soon to be removed. To meet this condition, white pine 

 seed should be sown, when possible on a northern exposure, in poor, or 

 at least, in rather poor soil. The mature cones may be gathered in the 

 autumn, kept in a cool dry place until spring, when many of ihe winged 

 seeds will be found to have escaped from the cones. The remainder ma}"- 

 be obtained by shaking or breaking the cones. Early in the spring, the 

 sooner after the frost comes out of the ground the better, the leaves of 

 the open woods should be lightly raked from the soil, in spots, so as to 

 give the seeds a chance to come in contact with the soil, or at least with 

 the damp leaves. Then cover the seeds lightly with a rake. This is ren- 

 dered necessary by the fact that though the seeds of the white pine are 

 well enough adapted to dispersion, they are not so well suited to self- 

 planting, and many must fail of growth because they do not come in con- 

 tact with a suitable substratum. When tlie young pines are three or four 



