THE RED SPRUCE. 



51 



species and will expose mineral soil most opportunely for aspen 

 seed to catch and take possession of the ground, followed by- 

 spruce in subsequent seed years. 

 This method should prove satisfac- 

 tory, particularly where spruce saw 

 timber is desired. The early growth 

 of the main stand under the cover 

 crop would prevent the development 

 of stout branches to such a height at 

 least that one or more clear logs to 

 each bole could be produced. The 

 cover crop would reach merchantable 

 size by about the fortieth or fiftieth 

 year and could be harvested. (See 

 Fig. 2b.) The main crop could be 

 thinned at the same time to secure 

 satisfactory distribution of the trees 

 to be left. With the removal of the 

 cover crop all spruce would be stimu- 

 lated and rapid development follow. 

 At the time of clean cutting the 

 second area, in from the sixtieth to 

 seventieth year, it would be profit- 

 able to thin the stand again on the 

 first area. (Fig. 2c.) The final thin- 

 ning of the first area would take 

 place between the one hundredth 

 and one hundred and twentieth year 

 when the removal of the cover crop 

 and first thinning of the second area 

 was made, thus at least three thin- 

 nings of the spruce would be pos- 

 sible with little or no additional 

 expense. The cost of bringing the 

 cut of spruce to maturity would be 

 somewhat more under this length- 

 ened rotation than under a shorter 

 rotation, but this would be offset 

 to a considerable extent by the in- 

 termediate revenues from the har- 

 vesting of the cover crop and the 

 thinnings and by the better quality 

 of timber yielded. The method 

 could obviously only be employed 

 where there was an available market for the products yielded by 

 the cover crop, namely, aspen pulp and excelsior stock, and maple 



