The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-04-07
A REMARKABLE TREE.
Some Interesting Facts Regarding
White Pine Tree Grown in Middle

White Pine Tree Grown in Middle
sex.
The State Foresters Office has just
received from j. A. Chaplin of Mid
dlesex the cross section of a white
pine cut near the ground showing a
most remarkable growth. This sec
outside the bark, and shows by it's
rings that the tree was seventy-seven
years old when cut this winter, so it
started in 1882, or a year or two be-
fore. Mr.. Chaplin says that the tree
grew on his farm in Middlesex at an
elevation of about 1,500 feet on an
average soil, mixed with other trees,
and that its height growth was fully
equal to the diameter growth as
shown by the section; for he was
able to cut seven twelve foot logs,
which sawed up LABS feet.
An analysis of the growth of this
pine sheds an interesting light on the
growth of trees in general which
people are too apt to overlook Its
diameter inside the bark at various
ages was as follows: 10 years, 312
inches; 20 years, 9h inches; 80
years, 1414 inches; 40 years, 1874
inches; 80 years, 22M inches; 60
years, 26A inches; 20 years, 20 inch
es; II years, 81 inches This shows
that the greatest diameter growth
was made during the second decade.
In fact, during the first twenty years
of the trees life the rings averaged
nearly one-half inch in width AS
matter of fact, however, the produc-
I ton of lumber in tree is not proper
tional to the diameter growth, but
the growth OF the whole cross sec
ton, or the square of the diameter.
Now the cross section of the base of
this tree at various ages was as fol-
lows: 10 years, OF of square foot;
20 years, u of square foot; so
years. IL square feet; 40 years, 10
square feet; 30 years. 2.S square feet;
GO years. 81 square feet; 20 years,
as square feet; II years, "a square
feet. In other words, the growth of
the cross section in the second dec
ade was A of square foot; in the
! third decade 6 OF a square foot; in
the fourth decade 8; fifth, 8; sixth,
80; seventh .S5 and in the last seven
years, 60. The rate of the growth of
The tree eliminated, therefore, be-
tween the ages of 80 and so years,
while a superficial! examination Of
the rings would lead one to think that
it reached its maximum growth by
the age of 90.
1t must also be remembered that
in addition to the growth there is a
constantly increasing quality incre-
,'ment. Not only do the lower limbs
drop off in the early life of tree
grown in the forest, thus making the
ciueI lulhDel CledfeT, DuC DOdruS
two feet wide are no longer common
and are worth more per thousand
feet than boards foot wide. The
splendid growth of this particular
tree is no doubt largely due to the
fact that it happened to have the
best amount of light and moisture
during the first half century of it's
growth. 1t is probable that had the
forest been properly thinned at that
time the same growth might have
been maintained during the next
quarter century.
Mr.. Chaplin has beer numbering
this winter and has taken out 10000
feet from fifteen or twenty acres
He has cut only the good sized trees
and has left the ground we'll covered
with thrifty growing soft woods
He believes rightly that it Is better
20 make $500 from the piece as he
has this year and be able to repeat
the operation in a few years, than II
would be to make twice that amount
and have a lot of waste land on his
hands.