24 
BULLETIN" 244, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
feeders. In the organization of the sprout colony, the correlation of 
the two classes of vegetative buds of the tree is thus carried out. In 
producing normally a single new upright stem, shortleaf resembles 
the hickories, in contrast to the oaks and chestnut, which commonly 
mature several main stems. In open situations and understocked 
stands a tendency to develop twin stems is sometimes seen in vigorous 
stands of shortleaf. A tendency to increase the number of stems 
above two appears to be caused directly by unfavorable factors of 
age, weakness of the parent, poor light supply, or climatic conditions. 
For example, as many as 42 coordinate upright stems have been 
counted on a stump 4 inches in diameter, cut in midsummer. In 
coppice stands up to 50 years old, a few twin trees will usually be 
found. The oldest tree of undoubted sprout origin observed was 
226 years. 1 
Table 7. — Height growth of dominant shortleaf pine in pure,- well-stocked stands of fire 
coppice origin. 1 
Age (years). height 
Age (years). 
Height 
(feet). 
1 
1.3 
2.7 
4.2 
5.8 
7.5 
9.5 
11.6 
13.9 
16.1 
10 
18.3 
2 
11 
20.6 
3 
12 
13 
23.3 
4 
26.0 
5 
14 
28.8 
6 
15 
31.7 
7 
16 
34.7 
8 
17 
18 
37.9 
9 
41.0 
i Based on 100 individual trees and the average trees for S sample plots 9 to 18 years. 
An 18-year-old coppice stand, near Glenville, Nevada County, Ark., 
averaged 248 trees per acre. Of these, 71 trees had two stems each, 7 
had three stems, and 1 had four stems, or a total of 336 stems per acre. 
Thus 33 per cent of the trees had more than one stem. The sprout 
origin of the stand was completely identified, but there is no record 
whether the cause was fire or chopping to clear a pasture. The stand 
was vigorous and averaged 44 feet high. The average diameters of 
all stems was 6.3 inches, while that of the trees proper, or each tree 
colony taken as a unit, was 7.4 inches. Three colonies of twin trees 
and some single stems are shown in Plate V. 
1 A large twin-stemmed tree with single root system exposed by erosion on a stream bank. There were 
others of nearly the same size and form in the same stand. 
