mine props, 84 percent of this type is now unmer- 

 chantable. On the other hand, much of this is 

 young stock that, if protected, will develop into 

 valuable forests. Fire has been frequent in the oak 

 areas, especially in the vicinity of the coal fields, 

 and, as a result, many acres are occupied by scrub 

 oak stands. 



Chestnut Oak 



The chestnut oak type is found chiefly on poor sites 

 along the tops and southern slopes of ridges in the 

 central and southern parts of the region. Chestnut 

 oak makes up half the volume of this type; red oak, 

 hemlock, red maple, and white pine are the principal 

 associated species. On the whole, this type is not of 

 much commercial value. It contains some saw timber 

 and mine timber, but most of the chestnut oak stands 

 are unmerchantable. Furthermore, a large propor- 

 tion of them grow in relatively inaccessible places. 

 Like the other oak types, the chestnut oak type is 

 highly susceptible to fire. 



Scrub Oak 



Scrub oak is prominent at the higher elevations 

 where the soil is thin and rocky and fires have been 



frequent. Pitch pine, which is rather fire-resistant, ' 

 is the most important commercial species in the scrub 

 oak stands. A small proportion of the red, black, 

 white, and chestnut oaks give promise for future 

 stands if fire is kept out. 



Current Growth and Drain 



The growing stock in the Anthracite Forest Region 

 does not yield a large return. Growth is at an ex- 

 tremely low level. The growth of saw timber is too 

 small to meet the present drain. In smaller material 

 the surplus of growth over drain is attributable to the 

 growth in unmerchantable stands. 



Growth 



Estimates of growth per acre in each major forest 

 type and forest condition class for 1943 are given in 

 table 5. Cubic-foot growth has been estimated for 

 all trees 5.0 inches d. b. h. and larger; board-foot 

 volume for conifers 9.0 inches, and hardwoods 11.0 

 inches d. b. h. and larger. When trees reach these 

 sizes they attain measurable volume. Growth is 

 therefore recorded not only for increases in size* of 

 trees already within the measurable limits but also 

 for additions to the measurable sizes from below. 



Table 5. — Growth per acre in each major forest type, by condition class, 7943 

 SAWLOG MATERIAL 



Forest type 



Saw-timber 

 stands 



Pole-timber 

 stands 



Unmerchant- 

 able stands 



All stands 



Sugar maple-beech-yellow birch 



Board Jeet 

 210 



Board Jeet 

 48 

 18 

 56 

 62 

 55 

 52 



Board Jeet 



44 



2 



51 



25 



19 



7 



1 



31 



Board Jeet 



60 



Aspen-gray birch-pin cherry 



3 



White pine-hemlock 



248 

 192 



172 

 113 



87 



White pine-white oak-red oak 



36 



Red oak-black oak-white oak 



28 



Chestnut oak 



14 



Scrub oak 



1 



Other 



225 



82 



41 







Average, all types 



211 



52 



25 



40 







ALL MATERIAL 



Sugar maple-beech-yellow birch 



Cubic Jeet 

 65 



Cubic Jeet 

 45 

 22 

 40 

 39 

 37 

 27 



Cubic Jeet 

 29 

 18 

 22 

 23 

 22 

 14 

 2 

 31 



Cubic Jeet 



38 



Aspen-gray birch-pin cherry 



18 



White pine-hemlock 



63 



54 

 45 

 31 



34 



White pine-white oak-red oak ... 



26 



Red oak-black oak-white oak 



25 



Chestnut oak 



16 



Scrub oak 



2 



Other 



60 



37 



33 







Average, all types 



60 



41 



21 



27 







24 



Miscellaneous Publication 648, U. S. Department of Agriculture 



