FOREST PLANTING IN THE LAKE STATES 
13 
EATE OF GROWTH 
On the basis of their rates of growth on sites to which they are 
suited, the species may be arranged as follows, beginning with those 
that grow fastest: Eastern cottonwood, jack pine, European larch, 
Norway pine, northern white pine, white ash, basswood, red oak, 
white spruce, sugar maple, and northern white cedar. (Table 2.) 
The growth rate must, of course, be considered in connection with the 
length of time required for the tree to attain a usable size. In this 
respect, there is an advantage in growing species which are used in 
small sizes, as for pulp wood. For example, a crop of jack pine pulp- 
wood can be grown in 35 or 40 years, whereas it will require from 50 
to 80 years to grow saw timber of northern white or Norway pine. 
This question of the time required to grow the crop is an important 
matter and will be considered further in the discussion of returns 
from planting. 
Table 2. — Time required for planted trees to produce crops of merchantable 
timber for specified products 
For ties, 
For ties, 
For posts, 
poles, 
For posts, 
poles, 
fuel, and 
piling, 
fuel, and 
piling, 
Species 
pulpwood 
(6 to 8 
and saw- 
logs (12 
Species 
pulpwood 
(6 to 8 
and saw- 
logs (12 
inch 
to 14 
inch 
to 14 
trees) 
inch 
trees) 
trees) 
inch 
trees) 
Years 
Years 
Years 
Years 
20-30 
25-45 
35- 50 
60- 90 
Basswood 
45- 60 
50- 60 
80-100 
Jack pine.. . . 
Red oak . 
80-100 
European Iarch_ 
30-35 
50- 60 
60- 80 
100-140 
Norway pine __ ... 
40-50 
60- 90 
Sugar maple - - _ 
70- 90 
110-150 
Northern white nine 
40-50 
50-60 
60- 90 
80-100 
Northern white cedar 
90-140 
160-220 
VALUE OP PRODUCT 
The money values of different species of timber differ widely. In 
1925 in the Lake States, northern white and Norway pine were sold 
standing at $10 and $15 a thousand board feet. White spruce 
brought $2 to $5 a cord and jack pine $1 to $3 a cord for pulpwood. 
The comparative abundance of natural stands of jack pine in the 
region tends to keep its value low and makes jack pine a relatively 
less desirable species for planting. The hardwoods — including sugar 
maple and basswood, and often the red oak which grows with them — 
are sold for about $8 a thousand board feet. White ash has a some- 
what higher value; eastern cottonwood is less valuable. Cedar com- 
mands good piece-rate prices for poles, ties, and posts. 
SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DAMAGE 
Norway pine stands out as a particularly desirable species for 
planting because it appears to be almost immune to insects and dis- 
eases. Northern white pine is often attacked by a weevil which kills 
the leading shoots and retards the growth in young trees. It is also 
subject to attack and destruction by the blister rust; but this need 
not discourage planting, for if the control measures worked out for 
