54 



nut, white oak, or curled maple, for vaneering, would be worth a dollar for a 

 square foot. The butt of a thrifty growing hickory or white ash, eight feet 

 long and one foot in diameter, may bring from one to two dollars, while a. 

 similar stick of Lombardy or other poplar would not be worth over fifteen 

 cents. As mere fuel the hickory and ash are worth nearly throe times as 

 much as the poplar. Yet the valuable tree will occupy no more ground to 

 produce it than the almost worthless one, and still give the required size in 

 about the same time. This consideration of value should always be kept in 

 mind in planting trees. A tree should not be chosen for planting, simply be- 

 cause it is a very rapid grower, nor yet be rejected because it is of moderate 

 growth. The true questions to ask and answer is this, which tree will be most 

 valuable at the end of twenty or more years. 



The planter should remember he is planting a tree for its value at the end 

 of, 25, BO, 100, or even 200 years hence, not for what it may be in five or ten 

 years. The man who plants the seed may see the tree when it is 60 Or 60 

 years old, and may feed on its fruit at ten years. Let him, therefore, 

 plant trees for their value, not merely for their rapid growth. Acting on 

 this principle, there would be no hesitancy in choosing between a balm-of- 

 gilead and a red cedar, or a river cottonwood and a swamp white oak. The 

 valuable tree would be selected, and the almost worthless one rejected. 



Timber is required for various purposes. Men want pine, tulip-tree, but- 

 ternut and basswood to work easy under the plane — white ash, hickory and 

 oak for strength and elasticity — hickory, oak and sugar maple for hardness 

 and stiffness — young hickory, white oak, white elm and black ash for supple- 

 ness — black walnut, cherry, butternut, oak, white ash, chestnut, inaple and 

 birch for cabinet work— beech for hard compact wood which will wear smooth, 

 for plane stocks and other tools — pine, spruce larch and oak, for long straight 

 timber, for buildings and ships — Hickory, black ash, and wWte oak for 

 hoop-poles — tamarack, larch, cypress and pine for hop-poles, stakes and trel- 

 lises — cedar, locusts, oak and black ash for durable posts for fences, and other 

 purposes, — willow, black ash and oak, for baskets. They want all for shade, for 

 forest and for fuel. But least of all they want the whole family of poplars, 

 notwithstanding they are rapid growers. 



TREES CLASSED BY RAPIDITY OF GROWTH. 



Forest trees may be classed by the rapidity of their growth into four 

 classes. 1. Trees of very rapid growth, or those making an annual increase 

 of more than an inch in diameter. 2. Trees of rapid growth, or making an 

 annual increase of more than one-half inch. 3. Trees of moderate growth, 

 or making an annual Increase of more than one-fourth inch : and 4. Trees 

 of slow growth, or making less than one-fourth of an inch in diameter each 

 year. 



In the first class, wo place the elm, silver and red maple, white and black 

 ash, chestnut, locust, white and Scotch pine. Scotch larch, black walnut, but- 



