10 
BULLETIN 1061, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
for pasturage. This may be considered as about the average of the 
better growth to be expected throughout the longleaf pine region. 
The soil conditions on old fields are favorable, probably because of 
changes in soil structure due to working. 
The most useful information regarding the rate of growth is 
obtained by measuring the amount of growth actually taking place 
in stands approximately even-aged and fairly well stocked. The 
JSROWTHIHHBGHTI 
R6E H0GHT NEARLY YEAR 
YBRS' INCHES GROWTH 
33 5 I s - ~- "' i ^ GROWTH UP TO JUNE 22 
- 'V"li BRANCHES (2) (Spring) 
RESERVE BUD (Late 5ummer) 
..„ _ — MID-SEASONAL. NODE 
cV^ij jr : MID-SEASONAL MODE 
fP^glJ ' BRANCHES (2) (Spring) 
^mmeM BRANCH (Spring) 
^ T^ M " BRANCH FROM RESERVE BUD 
Fig. 2. — Natural growth of longleaf pine for the past four seasons under fire protection : 
nearly S feet tall in 9% years. Photographed in June during period of rapid upward 
growth. (Jasper County. S. C.) 
trees in such stands grow tall, straight, and clean of branches, but 
relatively slow in diameter (PL II). At any given age. therefore. 
the average trees in well-stocked stands will be considerably smaller 
in diameter than those of similar age growing in the open. Like- 
wise, at relatively early ages — at 30 years for example — an acre that 
was half stocked might have trees of saw-timber size, whereas a fully 
stoeked stand might not have any trees of merchantable saw-timber 
sizes. 
