TIMBER VALUATION 



IQ 



of the hardwoods in a marked degree. The composition of the 

 cutover and burned subtypes except where the soil has been 

 entirely consumed tend to be identical. Commonly such intoler- 

 ant, light seeded species as popple, pin cherry and paper birch 

 take possession of the ground. Then when they have reached a 

 height of lo or 15 feet the more tolerant hardwoods and spruce 

 and balsam work in underneath. Occasionally, however, dense 

 groups of hard maple crowd out the other species, especially 

 where the maples have been cut and regenerate from sprouts. 



A not infrequent variation in the older parts of New England 

 is the old field spruce subtype. This is 90 per cent or more pure 

 spruce in composition and is always found on old pasture. The 

 grazing kept the hardwoods out while the seed bed conditions 

 were favorable for spruce. 



Fortunately damage is relatively slight in this type. None 

 of the subtj^s are as subject to burning as stands with a higher 

 percentage of softwoods. Wind seldom succeeds in overthrow- 

 ing the mixture of deep rooted species. Game, insects and fungi 

 never cause the death of trees over wide areas because the stands 

 are not made up of one species. In other words their food supply 

 is too scattered, for usually but one kind of tree is attacked. 



The following table gives data on the growth of the principal 

 species of the hardwood type from the researches of the U. S. 

 Forest Service and the State Forester of Vermont: 



OPTIMUM IN 100 YEARS 



Species 



Diameter 



Height 



Density 

 per acre 



Yield per acre 



Spruce 



Hard maple 



Aspen 



Yellow birch 



Vermont hardwoods 



12 

 12 

 23 



80 



7S 

 89 



74 

 8S 



300 

 60 



27s 



Cubic feet 

 10,000 



13,000 



7,000 



Timber Valuation. — Estimating within the hardwood type is a 

 complicated problem. While the tracts are usually located on 

 the lower slopes of the mountains, and hence the going is not 



