The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1904-11-30
NOVEMBER 80. 1904.
T4ERE ARE TWO GREAt TYPES,
THE PURE AND MIXED.


one of the Marvellous fc"tH OF nature
IL abe balancing of conditions
where Trees of Different Habits
Enter the struggle For Existence.
,rla laws which Govern the dfstrfbu-
,,.,.,... ,,,.,.,1,,,.,, ia, t,,.-, ,,,..o
49,. -,.;.... ,.....,
-
nv i'' nv - ~ W
altl"Ii7 "hi'h ''eeS VI oi'' NIL" 'i'''
ran survive.
In the North woods the balSain DC
cupics the swamps usually 10 the ex-
rIIsion - all competitors, since no
albnr af the natfye troos can thrive in
,,.,, ,.l,,,.as Ia 10 I,t.,,ls Hills autI
,.=..u,..a -. ,,,f.I1l, 49,, ia.
-, -. ...z...
ni''''ii W ''''' NO u ~
hioiStuic 'i'ap'' II !" ~ II i'''ie oo''
on II SOIL TOO urS To support othel III
tive trees. The Jack pine OF the New
Jersey barrcns and the long leaf pine
of the southern states grow III pure
or nearly pure stands since they alone
can withstand the peculiar conditions
of these regions.
Where. climate and soil are favorable
TO various trees we find the mixed for
est, the number Of species in mixture
depending 0bou the suitability of the
locality to forest growth.
Upon the hardwood flats of the Adj
rondacks the hard maple. the yellow
birch and the beech are the only de
eiduous trees able to withstand the Sc
we're climate In the southern Appa-
lachian forests, where the trees of the
north and south meet under conditions
favorable TO both. we find more than
100 different kinds.
The distribution of trees. therefore,
IL the Joint result of local conditions
md of the individual and VARYING re-
uulremcnts of the different species up-
Oh moisture. soil and climate. The
laws, however, which govern forest dis
tribution are not identical with those
which regulate the behavior of trees
In mixture. They do not explain why
each species. il undIsturbed. maintains
the same proportion i'm the mixed for
est Why does not the hard maple
drive out It's competitors In the Adiron.
dacks. the oak gain the upper hand in
the forests of the southern Appala-
chians. the red fir exterminntc the
western hcmlock on the paclfie sloDeg
Wherever n mixed forest occurs
there Is an upreleptiug struggle going
on. Let MS see how the combatants
arp armed and why the representation
of encb species remains unchanged.
The more tmportant of fine character
istics which affect The rapatIty of =
tree To hold its own in mixture with
frees of other kinds are IT'S demands
upon liyht lis rate of growth and liz
power of reproductton. No two species
reuilfrp nm eaunl amount of liqht grow
at the same rnte or nre Identical In
their capacity 10 reprotlucc themselves
The endowment of each. with habits
differing from those of its neighbors.
but with strength and weakness SO
balanced that all which occur In mix
ture enter thc STRUGGLE for existence
upon an equal footing, is one of the
mnr3 eIous feats of nntupe
The red spruce of the North woods
dense
shade. has been given the power TO
hold lis own against faster growing
competitors. some of which exceed ii
prcutly in their eapat1ty to reproduce
themselves. Tie Young spruees which
spring un here and there throughout
the forest struggle along under the
heavy crowns of The hard woods. where
upon lirht could nat survive
In the forests of the southern Ap-
pnlachinns the oak is in many localities
the characteristic t1De Growing ran
idly and exceedingly hardy. it might be
expected 10 mcreas,, steadily its pro
portion in the mixture. The euuilibri-
um is maintained through the fact that
the oak can endure but little shade
and that lis seed is heavy. limiting its
reproduction tn the Immediate Vicinity
of the parent tree.
I'm the same rct,hlp the yellow poplar
and IN, chcsfuM bntl, trnes which
grow rnpdlv AND are cala,ble of cntlur
Ing ClnSidcrahlc shade are conf rolled
the one because much of IFS seed is
barren. the other hecnus., many of the
nuts are eaten by animals And the
red cedar. of slow growth and sparse
reprcscutatiDn is uided thr0,Iph tbe
distribution of its seeds Inv birds. with
their pn\yer# To .fermipat, -lmimuaired
The aspen sh ,rt lived and rauuiriur-
much light holds IFS own with onrer
lived ami sbud, rn,,,in,, t,,.,s t,r,.nnsc
ifs ,ln,,.u,= .,,,,I j. ,,.l,,.,l Il, ,..,
Quantities and : scattered far and
wide by the wind The osh anJ tho
mn abundance of seed orr withhold Law
strong demands mon Iight aud hv tbr
scrI of Il fresh ana frrtile aol Tho