THE RED SPRUCE. 45 



the fortieth and forty-fifth year, and were light, ahont 2 trees in 7, or 

 hardly more than the natural thinning which took place among the 

 dominant and intermediate trees in the corresponding red spruce 

 stands. The thimiings throughout, up to and including the one 

 hundredth year, were in fact insufficient to make the number of trees 

 the same in the Norway spruce stands as in the red spruce (dominant 

 and intermediate trees) stands of corresponding age. Nevertheless, 

 thinnings did accelerate the rate of growth somewhat, so that by the 

 one hundredth year the whole Norway spruce stand, consisting of 

 98 more trees, very closely approximated the development attained 

 by the red spruce dominant and intermediate trees. In the Quality 

 II stands the effect of thinnings is more marked. Thinnings began 

 in the thirty-fifth year, with an intensity of 3 trees in 7 removed 

 (42 per cent), and continued comparatively heavy till the eightieth 

 year, when they were 1 in 5 (20 per cent). The acceleration in 

 this case is everywhere apparent. Shorter by 10 feet in the for- 

 tieth year, the whole Norway spruce stand had by the sixtieth year 

 attained the same development as the dominant and intermediate 

 red spruce stand of that age, and, while still lacking nearly 2 inches 

 in average diameter, showed 9 cubic feet greater volume. By the 

 eightieth year the total stems in the Norway spruce stand had 

 been reduced to 3 less than the number of dominant and intermediate 

 trees in the red spruce stand; had practically the same average 

 diameter and 7 feet greater height; and being fuller boled, as indi- 

 cated by the larger form factor, showed a very much accelerated vol- 

 ume growth. In Quality I, thinnings began in the twenty-fifth year 

 on a scale slightly more than 3 in 7 ; and the entire stand with 586 

 more trees, had by the fortieth year surpassed in average height the 

 average dominant and intermediate development of the red spruce 

 stand of corresponding age and quality. This, with the fuller bole 

 development, gave the Norway stand a considerable advantage in 

 volume development, whether or not it accounts for all of the 1,313 

 cubic feet excess volume at that age. From that time on the red 

 spruce stagnated and languished; but the Norway spruce, under the 

 stimulas of frequent thinnings, increased steadily in every respect. 

 The conclusion to be drawn from the comparison seems to be that 

 lack of management rather than any inherent deficiency in growing 

 qualities was the factor most largely responsible for the less ravorable 

 showing of red spruce. 



METHODS OF CUTTING. 



The methods of cutting to secure the natural regeneration of spruce 

 depend in a large measure upon whether the stand to be perpetuated 

 is of the selection, or many-aged form, as represented by the virgin 

 and the cull forests, or of the even-aged form, such as those coming 

 in after fire or windfall, or on abandoned pastures. 



