22 



BULLETIN 299, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



given increased light, and often grow much faster than do ordinary- 

 seedlings, because of the large root system they have developed. 1 



Seedlings and seedling sprouts under shade develop slowly. Some- 

 times the root system is 15 years old and the tree less than 1 foot high. 

 After the first year the seedling demands direct overhead sunlight for 

 best development, but a certain amount of protection on the sides is 

 beneficial. 



SPROUT REPRODUCTION. 



Ash is a free sprouter from early youth and usually retains its 

 sprouting capacity until old age (see black ash sprouts, PL XIV, fig. 2), 

 especially in vigorous trees. The sprouting is both from near the root 

 collar and higher up on the stump. The stump soon decays. Sprouts 

 from near the root collar usually form new roots, and for this reason 

 cutting of low stumps is very desirable in order to limit the reproduc- 

 tion to sprouts of the best kind. It is also a good plan to remove the 

 less vigorous sprouts from a stump in late summer of the first year so 

 as to concentrate the growth into one, two, or three of the more desir- 

 able ones. 



The vigor of the sprouting increases with the age and size of the 

 tree up to a certain point, after which it falls off. The following 

 measurements 2 on white ash emphasize this point: 



Diameter 

 of stump. 



Per cent of 



stumps 

 sprouting. 



Basis. 



Inches. 

 Ito 4 

 5 to 8 

 9 to 12 



13 to 16 



100 

 100 

 83 

 SO 



Stumps. 

 1 52 



White ash sprouts from stumps of healthy trees over 3 inches in 

 diameter grow from 3 to 7 feet the first year, and from 2 to 4 feet a 

 year for several succeeding years. Seedling sprouts, on the other 

 hand (from small seedling root systems), sometimes grow no faster 



i Measurements by Prof. E. E. Carter in 1912 on two sample plots on the Harvard Forest at Petersham, 

 Mass., gave the following comparative figures on the growth of white ash seedlings and seedling sprouts 

 after clear cuttings in dense mature stands of white pine, under which there was considerable seedling 

 reproduction of ash, \ foot to 4 feet high, and 5 to 40 years old. 



Plot 1. — Seedling sprouts from seedlings cut off at the ground 3 years previously, when the mature stand 

 was cut clean, showed an average total height growth of 4.8 feet in the tliree years, while seedlings which 

 were not cut back grew only 3.6 feet. 



Plot 2. — Seedling sprouts from seedlings cut off at the ground 4 years previously, when the mature stand 

 was cut clean, showed an average total growth of 5.9 feet in the 4 years, while seedlings which were not cut 

 back grew only 4.8 feet. 



These plots indicate that cutting off of ash seedlings to facilitate logging operations is beneficial rather than 

 harmful to ash reproduction. The seedling sprouts grew one-third raster than the old seedlings, which 

 means that in addition to straighter stems being produced their chances of getting up out of the reach of 

 browsing stock and deer are much better, which is an important factor in parts of New England and New 

 York. 



2 Measurements taken by J. Q. Peters, Hyde Park, N. V. 



