24 



BULLETIN 2U, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



feeders. In the organization of the sprout colony, the correlation of 

 the two classes of vegetative buds of the tree is thus carried out. In 

 producing normally a single new upright stem, shortleaf resembles 

 the hickories, in contrast to the oaks and chestnut, which commonly 

 mature several main stems. In open situations and understocked 

 stands a tendency to develop twin stems is sometimes seen in vigorous 

 stands of shortleaf. A tendency to increase the number of stems 

 above two appears to be caused directly by unfavorable factors of 

 age, weakness of the parent, poor light supply, or climatic conditions. 

 For example, as many as 42 coordinate upright stems have been 

 counted on a stump 4 inches in diameter, cut in midsummer. In 

 coppice stands up to 50 years old, a few twin trees will usually be 

 found. The oldest tree of undoubted sprout origin observed was 

 226 years. 1 



Table 7. — Height growth of dominant shortleaf pine in pure, well-stocked stands of fire 



coppice origin. 1 



Age (years). 



Height 

 (feet). 



Age (years). HgJ* 



1 



1.3 



10 



18.3 



2 



2.7 

 4.2 

 5.8 

 7.5 

 9.5 

 11.6 

 13.9 

 16.1 



11 



20.6 



3 



12 



13 



23.3 



4 



26.0 



5 



14 



15 



28.8 



6 



31.7 



7 



16 



17 



34.7 



8 



37.9 



9 . 



18 



41.0 









1 Based on 100 individual trees and the average trees for 8 sample plots 9 to 18 years. 



An 18-year-old coppice stand, near Glenville, Nevada County, Ark., 

 averaged 248 trees per acre. Of these, 71 trees had two stems each, 7 

 had three stems, and 1 had four stems, or a total of 336 stems per acre. 

 Thus 33 per cent of the trees had more than one stem. The sprout 

 origin of the stand was completely identified, but there is no record 

 whether the cause was fire or chopping to clear a pasture. The stand 

 was vigorous and averaged 44 feet high. The average diameters of 

 all stems was 6.3 inches, while that of the trees proper, or each tree 

 colony taken as a unit, was 7.4 inches. Three colonies of twin trees 

 and some single stems are shown in Plate V. 



1 A large twin-stemmed tree with single root system exposed by erosion on a stream bank. There were 

 others of nearly the same size and form in the same stand. 



