84 THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, 



This explanation of why oak so commonly follows pine is more elab- 

 orately shown by Prof. W. J. Beal of the State Agricultural College, 

 in an illustrated article printed as part of the Report of the Michigan 

 Forestry Commission for 1888. See pp. 25-29. 



PROM REPORT OF WISCONSIN FOREST COMMISSION, 1906. 



The statement is often made that pines will not follow pine, and 

 that when the old pine is removed, poplar or aspen usually comes up. 

 The latter is true, but it does not mean that pine will not follow pine, 

 but simply that the repeated forest flres following lumbering opera- 

 tions, destroy all the pine seed and the young seedlings. Surrounding 

 old burns are covered with poplar or aspen, their seed is very light, 

 often being carried for miles by the wind, and, as a result, burned 

 country is nearly always covered by these species. But where fire does 

 not follow lumbering in the pineries, the young pines come up readily 

 and often the reproduction is magnificent. It is only a question of put- 

 ting a stop to the forest fires. 



In many sections of northern Wisconsin, chance has accomplished 

 just what the forester would strive for. Early in the lumbering opera- 

 tions only the best trees were taken and those that were left acted as 

 seed trees. As a result of such fortunate conditions, thousands of acres 

 are now well stocked with a fine stand of young timber. 



Examples of particularly fine stands of second growth white pine 

 and Norway coming up on cut-over land, are to be found in every county, 

 proving that Wisconsin can, in a great measure, regain her wonderful 

 forests by means of common sense rules in lumbering and protection 

 from forest fires. 



Lumbermen and woodsmen, as a rule, do not notice young growth, 

 especially seedlings four or five inches high, for they are accustomed to 

 look only for merchantable timber and the young growth has usually 

 meant nothing to them but a hindrance in logging. Such men see thou- 

 sands of acres covered with poplar, aspen; birch and cherry and take 

 it for granted that this is the only growth which is coming up on the 

 land. But if they would take the pains to walk through this advance 

 growth, which is really nothing more than fire weed, they would find, 

 in many cases, great numbers of young pine, all the way from little 

 seedlings to trees ten and twelve feet high. Nature has provided species 

 in the aspen, poplar, birch and cherry which can quickly reclothe burned 

 over land and, after acting as a nurse to the valuable pine that comes 

 up under its shade, die down, having performed their function. 



Fortunately, the white pine, which is our most valuable timber tree, 

 has a very strong power of reproduction, more so than the Norway 

 with which it comes into direct competition. The following species 

 all reproduce themselves well, and if a few seed trees are left when 

 the mature timber is removed, very little planting will be necessary to 

 secure a second crop; white and Norway pine. Jack pine, cedar, tama- 

 rack, soft and sugar maple, birch, basswood, elm. • The following species 

 reproduce themselves only fairly well and must be given a start or pro- 

 tected from the other species, or they will be crowded out: hemlock, 

 spruce, balsam, red and white oak, ash, butternut and hickory. 



