176 



Report of the Forest Commission. 



And from the measurements and notes made by Foresters 

 Olmstead and Sanford in Township 20, Franklin county, and 

 Township 3 (" Atherton "), St. Lawrence county, the following 

 deductions as to the average age of the Adirondack spruce are 

 made: 



TABLE VI. 



DIAMETER IN INCHES. 



Number 



of spruce 



trees. 



Minimum and 

 maximum ages. 



Average 



age. 



12 



217 



177 



187 



71 



113 



53 



77 



17 



53 



4 



12 



4 



10 



1 



1 



3 



96—185 

 102-210 

 104—214 

 114-217 

 116—212 

 121—236 

 130—209 



95—200 

 133—235 

 156 — 227 

 162—224 

 149—234 

 160-226 

 213—. .. 

 197—... 

 217—226 



128 



13 



14 



139 

 143 



15 



151 



16 



154 



17 



18 



161 

 154 



19 



174 



20 , 



184 



21 



22 



185 



189 



23 



186 



24 



195 



25 



213 



26 , 



197 



27 



222 









1,000 





We are unable to account satisfactorily for the difference in 

 average age as indicated in the two preceding tables. It may 

 be that if the figures in the first had included as large a number 

 of trees and as wide a scope of territory as are embraced in the 

 second table, that the two results would agree better. The aver- 

 age age as indicated in Table V corresponds substantially with 

 that of the black spruce in Maine, as based upon measurements 

 made by Mr. Austin Cary, whose report shows that the average 

 age of the 12-inch spruce is 171 years; the 13-inch, 174 years; 

 the 14-inch, 189 years, and the 15-inch, 185 years. 



A remarkable feature in connection with the biology of the 

 spruce is the exceedingly wide range of ages in trees of the same 

 diameter. Thus, in Table VI it will be noted that of 187 trees 

 all 14 inches in diameter on the stump, there is a difference of 

 110 years in some of the ages. Some will readily explain this 



