NORWAY PINE IN THE LAKE STATES. 25 



limits of its range and on the richer soils occupied by hardwoods. 

 This fact, when taken in connection with its immunity from the 

 white-pine weevil and freedom from other forms of insect or fungous 

 attacks, should give Norway pine an important place in future 

 forest management. 



There is a tendency to use Scotch pine on soils suitable for Norway 

 pine. The height growth of the Scotch pine exceeds that of the 

 Norway for a few years, but the future development of the former 

 species as a timber tree in America can not be predicted. Much 

 Scotch pine seed is collected from stunted trees which can not pro- 

 duce sizes of commercial value. In Norway pine, on the other hand, 

 the forester has a tree whose growth and development is absolutely 

 certain, and therefore should be depended upon in large commercial 

 plantations on poor soils. 



MANAGEMENT. 



RESULTS UNDER THE MORRIS ACT. 



The only systematic attempt at management of Norway pine on 

 a considerable scale has been made on the Minnesota National Forest, 

 under the Morris Act of June 27, 1902. This act as passed provided 

 that 5 per cent of the total volume of standing timber be left in seed 

 trees. In 1908 an amendment to the bill doubled- this percentage. 

 When 5 per cent of the volume was left, there were from 0.2 to 1.5 

 seed trees per average acre, or about 0.6 seed trees per acre for the 

 area as a whole. Cutting was begun in 1904, but the areas were 

 burned over the same year, so the results from cutting 95 per cent of 

 a Norway pine stand can not be predicted with certainty. Young 

 growth has come in well on two areas where light fire, which cleared 

 out the underbrush, was followed by a good seed crop. Owing to 

 the rather open stand, averaging about 6,000 board feet per acre, 

 considerable ground cover existed before the logging. Taken as a 

 whole, the natural reproduction is not a success, because not enough 

 seed fell immediately after logging, when the bared soil was in the 

 best condition to receive it. What young growth there is has sprung 

 up as the result of the chance combination of a good seed year with 

 a suitable condition of the soil. Where conditions have been favor- 

 able, however, the results are unexpectedly good. 



Before condemning the Morris Act because better results have not 

 been obtained, one must bear in mind that as a forerunner of forest 

 management in Minnesota it was necessarily a compromise between 

 the clear cutting of the old-time lumberman and the ideal conserva- 

 tive fellings of the forester. 



ROTATION. 



The time at which Norway pine should be cut must be determined 

 in each individual case. To grow sawtimber from 20 to 24 inches in 



