Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-01-14
LIFE OF A FOREST.
First of n series of Lectures by G. ID
Howe Thursday Evening.

Howe Thursday Evening.
Mr.. c. u. Howe lecturer in forestry of
the university. delivered the first Of a
short series Of lectures at tho Williams
Science Hall Thursday night. He chose az
his opening theme the Life Hgtory OF the
Forest"
LII the beginning the speaker said he
wished the meetings would be regarded
not so much as lectures ~ informal con-
fcrcnccs FOR the purpose of talking over
the various forest problems OF Vermont.
At the meetings last winter the influence
or forests upon their surroundings was
the main theme OF discussion, but at the
present time all tho subjects for discus-
sion deal with the influence Of their sur
roundings upon tn" forests. forest IL
not a unit but very complex community
of individuals having widely differing re-
Iuirements In order to understand for
est wo must understand the individuals
which compose it, We must know how
each kind OF tree is Influenced by it's sur
roundings. how it lives, grows and does
ts work
Tho food of trees is manufactured in the
leaves and 10 small extent in the green
portions of the stems. The leaves are the
workshops OF the trees where crude mate
rails are manufactured into hne materials.
These in time ara deposited for future use
or are At once changed into wood. The
power Of tree to make new wood dc
Ponds upon the good health Of the leaves
and for the good health OF the leaves
plenty OF lisht and sir are absolutely es-
scntial FIFTY per cont of dry wood Ia car
bon. 1t 10 estimates that an aero fuzzy
stocked with tree. adds to its volume zach
year !. no pounds Of dry Substance. $40
pounds OF this then is pure carbon taken
from tho air through the agency Of Tho
leaves
The other raw material. which Inter
bee 'me the food OF the plant. comes from
ia" ground. being in solution in the water
or the coil. In general we say that q tree
gets along al right II it has plenty OF
water for it's roots, plenty OF light for
its leaves ana space In which to grow. II
ircse conditions we're fulfilled. barring
disease We would find strong. vigorous
trees everywhere. hut the condition IN a
Forest is strikmgly otherwise Many
trc"s ere weak and sickly in the prims Of
life The foot is there are too many
trees IN for~s. for the good OF oil. Thay
DO not share equally in the life giving
elements ard 80 the .trusxle for existence
is exceedingly severe. The strong live nd
the weak die. In the beginning Of . uni
form stand of trees there may he $40
or moro seedlings on an acre. Whom the
struggle for supremacy ends. less than
40 of the original trees may he living on
The same area.
G.! course much the greater part Of
these die before they are large enouSh
TO lie utilized for any purpose But .atcr
on most of the trees which are worsted
in the struggle are valuable for fuel and
some OF them for lumber. In an unosrSd FOR
forest these trcos fall to the ground and
decay and thus the wood IL total loss
IN the life time OF man 10 to 10 cords
per acre of the trees worstel in tho strug
sic for existence could ue taken fron a
forest. BY cutting these trees before
= 1...4. lie.
much wood but at the same time he in
cr,aSes tho growth or the trees chat re-
main.
In a thicklV grown forest the lack Of
sufticien, light and space for the Develop
| msnt Of their crowns, is the chief cause
of the death of so many trees vet those
that survive the struGgl. make better
lumber trees as the result
As a rule tho greatest growth of a
DOMINANT tree takes place when il is
from four 20 twelve inches in diameter
on the stump. If a man cuts hi. tree be-
{ fore il is a foot in diameter. he takes II In
the prime Of life when it may be growing
most vigorously and Just when il is earn
!ng him the most money expressed in
cubic contents of wood. OF course no don
nte rule can bo made when to cut n tree
since 1t depends upon the conditions in
which il is growing as well as The lumber
ing conditions on a given area.
| The life history of forest was traced
| from seedlings to old age especial en-
| phasis beng given to the Influences OF
| light Other factors Of course such as
water in the soii the fertility Of the soil
and the permeaSility OF the soil to the
| roots enter in. but when Al tree il once
wei established in the soil light through
IT'S influence upon the leaves la chiefly in
/ struniental in determining both the guam
tity and the quality OF the wood that the
wood produces. our object in studying the
| forests is to make them produce the largest
quantity of the best wood possible and
| in order to do this must UNDERSTAND The
/ intiucN"c of light upon trees and treat oul
| wood lots accordrgiy.