The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-26
FACTS ABOUT PINE TREES.
Their Age and Causes Which Hasten
Their Death.


brownsville, Ga, Feb 24-Editor Morn
ing News: 1 have read much in the
Morning News from first to last about the
disappearance of the pine trees from For
syth Park. 1 have studied the growth of
the pine tree for long time and my OBJ
servation leads me to the conclusion that
a great deal that has been written of the
trees in Forsyth Park is erroneous. In
your editorial of Feb 90 you leave one to
believe that these trees are about 100 years
old l am of the opinion that the pine
tree reaches its maturity before 1t is 100
years old, when it begins to decay and
dies from old age. The process of dying
may continue in fact, generally does con-
tinue, for a number of years, probably In
some cases as long as % years. Storms
and fire have a good deal to do with has
tening this process; as the gradual loss of
vitality by the trees renders them an easy
prey to these destructive agencies. 1t has
long been known among timber men that
a pine tree forest wil reproduce itself for
milling purposes in about twenty years.
This, of course, does naE imply repro
duction from the seed In that time, but an
increase from the small size trees 10 large
trees about fully grown or nearly so. Any
one watching the grown of young pines
will be surprised at it's rapidity. Many
men can recall instances under their own
observation, where small sapings have
made majestic trees during their life time
l mention these things as indications Of
the age at which the yellow pine tree
reaches its maturity, for l am aware that
the great majority of people imagine this
tree to i've for many centuries In fact
all of our forest trees esnpoialivs ha Va =
rious species of oaks, grow much faster
than is generally supposed. Ii may be
true Also as you intimate in your edito-
rial, that the old field pine natures ear
Tier than the yellow pine in the virgin for
est, as 1t certainly grows more rapidly; but
there has been very fttle opportunity to
test its time of maturity, as so little clear
ed land in this country has been abandon
ed long enough. Old age then might ac-
count for the disappearance of the trees
in Forsyth Park as no young trees have
been a\owed to spring UP and grow. which
process is continually taking place in the
natural forest. a0.
Much has also been written about the
pine not f1ourishing along with other trees.
This VIII not stand the test of observation.
The reason why so many forests of open
pine woods with no underground are seen
over the country. is because frequent for
NSt AllNS hAbti ~ ucSAIOy the YOU'VE CROWN
which makes the variety. Many young
pines are also destroyed, but as they have
little foliage and that not as easily effected
by fire as other varieties of trees. many of
them escape this enemy and finally make
fine trees. / have time and again noticed
the rapidity with which various kinds of
trees, among them many pines, spring up
and thrive in a piece of open pine woods
when it has been fenced off and fire kept
this county where there is a stretch of
open pine woods on one side OF a public
road, through which woods a team can
easily be driven; while on the other side
of the road there is a dense forest of D, mes.
various kinds of oak, hickory dogwood.
holly, etc, growing all amicsbly together.
1t is striking proof of the fact above set
forth, and also a strong argument against
the frequent burning off of our woods On
investigation, l found that years ago all
the people living in that neighb6rhood. and
before the country was thickiy settled, mad
agreed that the fires should be set on but
one side Of this road, which side was de-
voted to pasturage, and which side is the
one now with The open woods This course
has been kept up ever since To any one
who has watched the growth Of our for
ests, and the rapid rate at which the
growth reproduces itself, it Is a source of
not only great regret, out IL produces In
him a feeling of the greatest protest
against the annual destruction OF so much
valuable timber, that will be needed in the
future
This waste must run up in the state of
Georgia alone into an incalculable sum
each year.
While the pine may not be so Jealous of
other trees as to require exclusive use of
the land wherein 1t grows, it is very jeal-
Gus Of the sunshine, and / am inclined TO
think will grow to any hight necessary for
1t to force its tuft of green needles out
into the unobstructed sun light 1t matters
little to IL how many trees and shrubs may
be luxuriating' in the shade beneath. its
verdant head is held aloft and the tallest
trees are often found where the under
growth is ranlSest.
There may also be something in The de-
cay Of the Forsyth Park trees on account
of the cleaning away, at frequent inter-
walls, all decaying vegetable matter which
falls upon the ground, and upon which the
trees in their natural growth 70 some ex-
tent rely for nutrment However. / am
not at all sure that there Is much in this.
as your trees are probably fertiltzed in
other ways; though vegetable growth Of
ten depends upon subtle causes the effect
Of which ore so hidden that no account is
taken of them.
-s-e-s-
-Ibsen the NorweQian dranoatfat &c a,