Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-10-06
GROWING FOREST TREES.

boon greater than the discovery Of gold
lin the days vt 49,"
The OhioEVperiment station has is
sued bulletin on forest conditions in
that state Conditions there are 80
different from those that prevail In the
almost treeless plains and plateaus OF
the semi-arid West that it makes one
almost enyious TO read paragraphs
like THIS
AN especially fine woudlot of 60
acres. consisting OF second growth
hickory. ash. white. black. scarlet. burn
and pin oaks. sugar maple. blackberry,
honey locust. white red and water elm.
red mulberry and pignut hickory was
found la clinton county Tho stand
was mixed. consisting of a number OF
large maturcd specimens which were
distributed among the young trees.
The shellbark hickory apparently re-
generated in a heavy sod. for the latte.
still exists. For the most part. how
ever the ground cover rs excellent.
Practically the only operation by which
the forest could be benefited would bc
the removal " the large, maturcd oaks
ana hickorles. These individuals are
retarding the growth OF the young
trees about them and besides they
have attained their development AMI
should be marketed The water eluls
might be removed also. especially
where they interfere with the growth
Of the more valuable species"
That paragraph tells the remarkable
story Of the vast natural wealth "
those portions Of the country that were
originally well covered with forest.
growth. In the West. only the canyons,
the banks or streams. and the higher
mountain ranges were timbered The
best species moreover. were the rcd
pine and the black balsam. which. for
most purposes do not compare in
value with the species once so numcr-
Gus over the level lands Of Ohio.
Two Of the trees recommended for
reforestation in Ohio. however, grow
very well, in all the warmer or lower
valleys OF this state and one OF them,
the ash. might thrive with Us any
where. The other species. the hardy
catalpa, has several times been favor
ably mentioned for growing in guam
tity as a cultivated timber tree in the
West
The report favors the planting to-
gether Of the ash and the catalpa, ana
the thinning out of the latter as the
harder and slower growing ash trees
mature
OF one interesting ash plantation the
report explains that the trees had been
planted about II years previously ana
were spaced about 4 feet each way.
The growth was fairly even, and but
few Of the trees had died as a result
Of crowding The entire growth, how
ever. was below normal and had the
trees been spaced 5 by or 10 by 10
feet, thinning would probably not have
been made necessary before the trees
became Of size so that the timber could
have been used for some purpose
| Thinning has been necessary for some
time. but the product can be used 50
far as Is known only for hrewood for
which there is practically no market.
There has been an advantage In the
close planting which should not be
overlooked. viz clear timber II is
impossible for lateral branches TO de-
velop and height growth is always aug
mented. II would no doubt have been
better had the ash been spaced with
some such species as the catalpa plant
ed in mixture with fl. when crowdng
commences, the catalpa could be re-
moved and utilized for posts and the
ash left standing TO attain larger size. q"
The bulletin considers the considera-
ton OF catalpa groves 10 be OF greater
Importance than those Of any other ar
tihciM plantations. both on account Of
their majority and Of the adaptability
OF this species 10 a large portion OF
the state
out OF 645.270 trees distributed by the
ohio Experiment station since 1904
426sl2 We're oatalpa. It's rapid growth
on good soils has made IL popular In
the good farming sections Of that state
for post and pole materials. and for
windbreaks. Il is comparatively FREQ
from the attacks OF insect and fungus
diseases; and thus far the former have
been more .prevalent than the latter
The growth Of the catalpa groves
has been az good as could be expected
| There Is considerable variation due 10
both quality and chemical composition
Of soil. From the aggregate NJ results
marked difference in growth is shown
between soil of free stone and lime.
stone formation. that on the latte-
being better than on the former. since
most Western soils contain an abund-
ance Of lime. it would seem that this
tree should do well with as The
average height of i-year-old oatalpas
was found to be IS feet. tho diameter.
one foot from the ground. 23 inches
/ diameter breast high 80 inches. These
tn'cs were set s feet apart each way.
I Judicious pruning rs strongly urged 10
Insure straight trunk aud greater
height similar catalpas leu uncult.-
waited averaged only feet 100 height
and 0 inch u diameter foot above
| the ground when -four years old.
The bulletin repeats the warning not
10 plant tine inferior species There
arc quite commonly distributed. three
distinct species Of tpe catalpa. VIZ.
/ the hardy camlpa the common catal-
/ pa, and the japanese cawlpa only
the former or hardy cttalna ls worthy
Z of growing for commercial purposes