32 
BULLETIN 544, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
There is little doubt that Norway spruce makes a better height 
growth in early life than our native spruce. It is well to remember, 
however, in making comparisons in this particular instance, that the 
two grow under entirely different sets of conditions. While the 
native spruce has developed from seed under the keenest possible 
competitive conditions, the Norway stock was in all likelihood nur- 
sery grown, so spaced when planted as to eliminate undesirable com- 
petition dining early life, and possibly even cultivated. Then, too, 
such plantations in general have been made on a rather better soil 
even than that on which the average first quality red spruce stands 
are found. 
A comparison of the height growth of spruce seedlings -in the forest 
and in the open is shown in Table 7. 
Table 7. — Height growth of spruce seedlings. 
Age. 
Height. 
In the 
In the 
forest. 1 
open. 2 
Years. 
Feet. 
Feet. 
5 
0.3 
0.8 
10 
0.7 
2.4 
15 
1.1 
6.0 
20 
1.5 
10.0 
25 
2.0 
16.0 
30 
2.6 
2S.0 
35 
3.3 
35.0 
40 
4.1 
45 
5.0 
1 Based on 615 trees. Data collected by R. S. Hosrner, 1901, on the Xew York State Forest Reserve. 
2 From p. 50, "Forest Conditions of Northern New Hampshire," Bulletin 55, Bureau of Forestry, 
V. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 
The column of height in the open is entirely conservative, as will be 
noted by comparing it with Table 5. 
DIAMETER GROWTH. 
The growth in diameter of spruce in virgin and other selection-form 
forests is. like the height, largely independent of age. The relation 
between diameter and age, however, can more readily be established 
than that between height and age, since merely from a stump analysis 
results closely approximating the truth can be obtained. 
