EARLY PLANTING. 



Much tree planting was done in Illinois previous to twenty years 

 ago. The early settlers in the prairie regions felt the need of shelter 

 belts and planted them extensively. Some plantations were also 

 established for posts and fuel. 



Except silver maple, which, despite its numerous defects, has long 

 been a favorite, the species most widely planted in the early days 

 was black walnut. About 1870, European larch came into favor, 

 and a few years later catalpa was widely planted. 



FOREST PLANTATIONS EXAMINED. 



NUMBER AND AREA. 



In Table 2 are summed up briefly the number of plantations exam- 

 ined, their acreage, the number of trees measured, and the number 

 of sample plots on which volume or stem analyses of sample trees 

 were made. 



Table 2. — Summary of plantations examined. 



Species. 



Number of 

 planta- 

 tions. 



Acreage. 



>7 umber of 

 trees meas- 

 ured. 



Number of 

 sample plots 

 on which vol- 

 ume meas- 

 urements or 

 analyses of 

 sample trees 

 were made. 



European larch 

 Hardy catalpa. 

 Black walnut. . 

 Silver maple... 



White ash 



Other species.. 



Total.... 



2,000 

 3,000 

 4,300 

 3,000 

 700 

 9,500 



117 



208 



22, 500 



METHODS OF STUDY. 



Valuation surveys, usually of not less than one-tenth of an acre, 

 were made on typical areas in the plantations. If conditions in a 

 plantation varied sufficiently to make the results of one valuation 

 survey insufficient to estimate the value of the whole plantation, two 

 valuation surveys were made and their results combined. Small 

 plantations were often measured entire. Diameters were measured 

 at three points on the tree, namely, 1J, 4J, and 7\ feet above ground. 

 The heights of several trees in each plantation were taken, usually 

 with a Irypsometer, and the heights of the remaining trees were esti- 

 mated from these. Stem analyses were made of sample trees where- 

 ever possible. In many cases, however, where the owner would not 

 consent to the cutting of trees, volume measurements of the sample 

 trees were taken. 



[Cir. 81J 



