FORESTRY COMMISSION. 29 



variety of other growth, nota,bly, poplar, birch and young pine. But after 

 a few fires have cleaned up the land, and thoroughly burned out the humus 

 of the soil, the frugal Oak is the only tree whose sprouts begin the pro- 

 cess of restocking. ]!\ early all uplands of the Reserve bear at least some 

 Oak, and on several thousand acres the Oak today forms quite a valuable 

 stand of coppice up to 30 feet in height and to 10 inches in diameter, while 

 all intermediate conditions may be met. The behavior of this coppice 

 Oak after the fires has been mentioned, and it is but natural that nearly 

 all Oak on the Eeserve today is coppice and not seddling growth. As a 

 coppice the Oak here is first a fairly rapid grower in height and diameter, 

 is bushy and early takes on the scrub-oak character. The Oak is a fair 

 seeder and where not disturbed for some years the better coppice stands 

 begin, seeding and more or less seedling gTOwth is observed. That the Oak 

 never gets beyond the scrub-oak condition of these lands is clearly indi- 

 cated by the few scattering old trees which have escaped the fires. 

 , Thus of three such trees, 90, 118 and 123 years old respectively, none 

 was over 45 feet high or ovei* 10 inches in diameter, and while this may 

 perhaps be rather a, representation of slow than of average growth, yet 

 al! examinations indicate that the sprouts at least, grow fairly well for 

 some 3'ears, but soon enter a period of very slow growth. A number of 

 older coppice trees examined indicate that a diameter of eight to 10 inches, 

 inside bark, and a height of 25 feet usually requires about 35 to 40 years. 

 It is evident, from all appearances that this coppice is valuable as a first 

 cover, amply justifies proper protection of the woods, but that it must 

 be used early and can not be regarded as the proper final form of forest 

 for any of these lands, which can produce a much greater return if 

 stocked with pine. It should also be mentioned in this connection that 

 this frugal species is apt to mislead in estimating the quality of the 

 land. The Oak here is capable of active coppice growth with a very 

 thrifty appearance on almost any kind of land while, as has been stated 

 before, it is almost absent from the good mixed hardwoods of the real, 

 good agricultural lands of the region. These mixed hardwoods, largely 

 Maple, Elm, Basswood, Ash, Birch and Beech and usually mixed with 

 Hemlock, are as distinct from the scrub oak cover of the sands as pine is 

 from hardwoods. The forest is tall, the trees rise commonly to a height of 

 80 to 110 feet, diameters of 24 to 30 inches are common, and trees over 

 three feet diameter and 100 feet in height are by no means rare. 



The Cedar is, here on the Eeserve, as it is over the entire region, one of 

 the characteristic trees of the swamp. There is no swamp on the JReserve 

 whore it is wanting; in a number of them it predominates, often covering 

 acres of ground almost to the exclusion of other species. It possesses no 

 peculiarities here; as elsewhere, it is a good seeder, reproduces amply, 

 stands shade and crowding, grows well in height and diameter as a young 

 tree, but generally lets up in its gxowth at an early age, so that even old 

 trees are rarely above 70 feet in height and 18 inches diameter breast 

 high. Since it stands close crowding, the growth as observed on logs, 

 poles, etc., in large piles, appears very variable, dependent, evidently, on 

 the chance which each individual had for light and space. 



Generally, however, it must be said that the mature Cedar, now cut in 

 this district is of slow growth, fine grain or rings and is generally affected 

 with the, defect of "butt rot" peculiar to and almost ' normal with this 

 speCtcK; S'rom several trees exami.n.^d it may. be inferred that trees 100 



