ONE MAN'S FOREST

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One Vermont red pine plantation, under the most intensive cultivation, has produced something salable annually from its fifteenth year to its sixtieth. A municipal forest, reported by the state forestry department, produced revenue of $51.00 per acre for thinnings alone over a thirty-five-year period after planting, and at that time its standing timber had a value of over $180 per acre.

Red and white pine are not, of course, the only species open to the plantation planner. Scotch pine, balsam, larch and spruce are among other choices. The forester is best qualified to point out their relative merits. The hardwoods, including maple and ash, are not likely to be included on his list. Hardwoods can be planted under the right conditions, but such plantations are not common. Reproduction of maple and ash either by planting or natural seeding is practically impossible in some areas where in recent years the deer herd has far exceeded the natural food supply and has destroyed these for forage. Scotch pines are subject to severe damage by the porcupine in northern areas, to such an extent that state forest authorities combat the problem by releasing a fisher cat in damaged areas to reduce the porky population.

PLANTATION LAYOUT

How many trees to plant will be determined by the area selected and, more significantly, by the spacing between the seedlings and between the rows. For a purely ornamental planting, such as a single group of a few trees or a row of a dozen or so, minimum space between seedlings should be six feet for white and eight feet for red pine. More space will encourage a fatter growth if screening is the objective. But for a plantation, six- , seven-or eight-foot spacings are most often chosen. Twelve-foot spacing has on occasion produced unusually rapid growth, but this figure does not seem to be generally acceptable.

The decision on how far apart to plant seedlings and space the rows is best made when the forester checks the site and makes his recommendation on what to plant. Without this advice it is usually safe to compromise on a seven-foot spacing. Eight is often recommended for red pine, but one theory holds that this encourages rapidly tapering tree trunks with heavy side branches. Seven feet is the choice of this school of thought. White pine may be set five feet apart rather than the usually recommended six, on the theory that the closer spacing gives better protection from the white pine weevil. But the forester's experience and knowledge of local conditions are the best guide.

The number of seedlings per acre required for planting at various spacings is as follows:

Why so many trees crowded into an acre? Early mortality from any number of causes will dispose of some. More significantly, early crowding will encourage the growth of clear wood, free from knots. Crowding will tend to kill the lower branches and provide some natural pruning, to be supplemented later by human attention as the tree grows higher. The ultimate objective is 150 to 200 mature trees per acre for a final harvest.

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