﻿Forest, 
  Fish 
  and 
  Game 
  Commission 
  91 
  

  

  As 
  has 
  been 
  stated 
  before, 
  the 
  soil 
  here 
  is 
  naturally 
  receptive 
  

   for 
  pine, 
  but 
  several 
  conditions 
  controlling 
  the 
  species 
  which 
  take 
  

   possession 
  of 
  different 
  sites 
  might 
  be 
  noted. 
  If 
  a 
  pasture 
  on 
  a 
  

   sandy 
  hillside 
  is 
  allowed 
  to 
  revert, 
  the 
  pine 
  will 
  seed 
  in. 
  If, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  the 
  pasture 
  has 
  been 
  cropped 
  very 
  close 
  and 
  the 
  soil 
  com- 
  

   pacted 
  by 
  heavy 
  tramping, 
  poplar, 
  birch 
  and 
  pin 
  cherry 
  form 
  the 
  

   first 
  generation, 
  generally 
  succeeded 
  by 
  pine. 
  

  

  If 
  a 
  field 
  is 
  allowed 
  to 
  revert 
  just 
  after 
  being 
  cultivated, 
  grass 
  

   and 
  weeds 
  must 
  take 
  possession 
  first 
  before 
  the 
  pine 
  will 
  catch. 
  

  

  It 
  would 
  seem 
  that 
  the 
  compacted 
  sod 
  and 
  perhaps 
  the 
  exposure 
  

   of 
  the 
  seed 
  to 
  the 
  drying 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  prevent 
  the 
  successful 
  

   germination 
  or 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  seedling. 
  

  

  The 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  pine 
  type 
  is, 
  of 
  course, 
  from 
  seed, 
  and 
  in 
  

   density 
  it 
  varies 
  from 
  an 
  open 
  field 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  small 
  pines 
  to 
  a 
  

   heavily 
  stocked 
  stand 
  having 
  a 
  complete 
  canopy. 
  The 
  humus 
  con- 
  

   ditions, 
  where 
  there 
  is 
  any 
  canopy, 
  are 
  generally 
  good, 
  though 
  the 
  

   warm 
  sandy 
  soil 
  prevents 
  any 
  heavy 
  accumulation. 
  The 
  ground 
  

   cover 
  depends 
  greatly 
  on 
  the 
  density 
  of 
  the 
  stand, 
  varying 
  from 
  

   the 
  pasture 
  grass 
  to 
  the 
  ferns, 
  viburnums, 
  dogwood, 
  etc., 
  of 
  a 
  

   normally 
  stocked 
  stand. 
  

  

  Reproduction 
  is 
  unusually 
  good, 
  especially 
  on 
  the 
  open 
  fields, 
  

   dense 
  thickets 
  of 
  young 
  pines 
  springing 
  up 
  around 
  the 
  seed 
  trees. 
  

  

  In 
  openings 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  the 
  mature 
  trees, 
  seed- 
  

   lings 
  come 
  up 
  in 
  great 
  abundance, 
  so 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  score 
  of 
  repro- 
  

   duction 
  this 
  region 
  has 
  no 
  cause 
  for 
  alarm. 
  

  

  Concerning 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  growth, 
  conditions 
  are 
  equally 
  favor- 
  

   able. 
  In 
  the 
  pine 
  regions 
  of 
  eastern 
  Massachusetts, 
  southeastern 
  

   New 
  Hampshire 
  and 
  southwestern 
  Maine 
  they 
  figure 
  on 
  one 
  thou- 
  

   sand 
  board 
  feet 
  per 
  acre 
  per 
  year 
  as 
  the 
  mean 
  annual 
  growth 
  of 
  a 
  

   fully 
  stocked 
  stand 
  of 
  pine. 
  From 
  the 
  figures 
  quoted 
  by 
  old 
  in- 
  

   habitants 
  who 
  have 
  seen 
  pine 
  cut 
  from 
  lands 
  which 
  they 
  remember 
  

   as 
  mowing 
  lots, 
  it 
  seems 
  that 
  this 
  figure 
  (1,000 
  bd. 
  ft.) 
  will 
  be 
  

   equalled, 
  if 
  not 
  surpassed. 
  

  

  The 
  general 
  tendency 
  for 
  pine 
  is 
  to 
  grow 
  in 
  pure 
  stands 
  and 
  this 
  

   is 
  the 
  condition 
  usually 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  abandoned 
  pasture. 
  

  

  