154 FOREST PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION 
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Building Booms. 
Photo by Maine Forestry Dept. 
The killing of 
the leader in this 
manner’ throws 
the vitality of the 
tree into the next 
group of laterals 
below the injury. 
These turn up- 
ward; each de- 
velops a more or 
less strong grow- 
ing tip, and they 
all contend for 
leadership. If 
these new leaders 
are not again at- 
tacked the result 
is the production 
of a forked or 
branched top, 
known among 
woodsmen as a 
“‘stag-horn pine.” 
This either much 
decreases or en- 
tirely dstroys the 
timber value of 
the tree, and at 
the same time de- 
tracts from its 
beauty. How- 
ever, very often 
the new leaders 
may be attacked year after year, resulting in the production 
of a stunted, bushy growth which has neither commercial nor 
esthetic value. Instances where this has been carried so far 
that from 25 to 100 leaders are striving for supremacy, may be 
seen by the thousands throughout southern Maine. Indeed, in this 
region, only a very small per cent of the young pines escape injury 
by the weevil. 
While the pine weevil shows a decided preference for white pine 
(Pinus strobus L.) over all other species of trees, it will occasion- 
