28 
BULLETIN" 244, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
areas, the core of coppice being composed of large conspicuous rings 
in contrast to the small rings of seedling trees. 
ECONOMIC VALUE. 
Fire as a menace to young pine in great measure prevents capital 
from going into what otherwise appears to be a paying investment. 
White pine in New England is a well-known example. The case is 
somewhat different with shortleaf, in which practically the only fire 
loss is from exceptionally hot fires which destroy large saplings or 
pole stands too large to sprout. Eepeated burning in the dormant 
seasons of the year, when almost all fires occur, seems to offer no 
appreciable setback for at least three sprout generations. Therefore 
the element of fire risk in the production of all important eastern 
coniferous species is reduced to the minimum in shortleaf pine by 
its vigorous sprouting habit. This feature highly recommends the 
species for profitable managment throughout its range. 
GROWTH. 
HEIGHT. 
The long growing season throughout most of its range and its 
inherent vigor make shortleaf pine a tree of rapid height growth. 
In situations of equal favorableness it is more rapid than longleaf 
pine and only slightly less so than loblolly pine. On average upland 
soils typical of most of its range it excels its most common associates 
among the oaks and hickories. In Arkansas and adjacent States, on 
the better sites bigbud and bitternut hickories are distinctly below it, 
yellow and Spanish oaks nearly equal it, and sweet gum slightly 
exceeds it in height growth. In the Piedmont and Arkansas regions 
height growth is not widely different on similar qualities of site. 
Table 9 shows the rate of growth and relation of heights to age for 
the two regions. 1 
Table 9. — Height growth of shortleaf pine, based on age, in Arkansas and North 
Carolina. 2 
WESTERN 
ARKANSAS. 
Age (years). 
Height. 
Age (years). 
Height. 
Maximum. 
Average. 
Minimum. 
Maximum. 
Average. 
Minimum. 
20 . 
Feet. 
51 
56 
59 
62 
64 
66 
68 
69 
71 
72 
74 
75 
76 
78 
Feet. 
45 
50 
54 
57 
60 
62 
64 
65 
66 
67 
69 
70 
71 
72 
Feet. 
37 
43 
48 
52 
54 
57 
59 
60 
62 
63 
64 
65 
65 
66 
90 
Feet. 
79 
80 
81 
83 
85 
87 
88 
89 
90 
91 
92 
93 
93 
Feet. 
73 
74 
74 
76 
77 
78 
79 
80 
81 
81 
82 
82 
83 
Feet. 
67 
25 
95 
68 
30 
100 
68 
35 . 
110 
69 
40 
120 
70 
45 
130 
71 
50. . 
140 
71 
55 
150 
71 
60 
160 
72 
65 . 
170 
72 
70 
180 
72 
75 
190. 
72 
80 
200 
73 
85 
i Table 7 shows the height growth of shortleaf known to be of coppice origin. 
2 The Arkansas table is based on age-height measurements of 285 trees and diameter-height of 3,214 
trees; the North Carolina table is based on age-height measurements of 332 trees and diameter-height of 384 
trees. 
