The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-04-04
TREE " YEARS OLD.
Wonderful Growth IF a White Pine on
MiddIesex Farm.


Burlington, April A. The state forest
er's Office has iust received from y Al
Chaplin Of Middlesex the cross section
Of a white pin cut near the ground
showing most remarkable growth
This section Is thirty.two inches ii diam
eter outside The bark and shows by Il.
rings that the tree was seventy seven
years old when cut this winter, 30 Il
started ID 1882 OF a year Of two before
Mr. Chaplin says that the tree grew on
his farm in Middlesex no an elevation
81 about 500 feet, % ala average soil
mixed with other trees, and chat ~.
height growth was fully equal 70 the
diameter growth as shown by the see.
ton; for be was able to cut seven ~.
foot logs which saws up 1895 feet
An analysis Of the growth Of this pine
sheds an interesting light on the growth
Of trees IA general which people ATE
too apt 10 overlook lts diameter inside
thu bark at various ages was as fol-
lows 10 years, ais inches; 20 years
0ia inchcsi 80 years, l4A inches3 4e
years 1884 inches; 50 years, ~ h
inches; 90 years 2eh inchesi 10 year.
% inches; IL years, b 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.haf inch in width.
AS matter Of fact, however, The pro.
duetion of lumber 10 a tFee is not pro-
portioual 10 the diameter growth, but the
growth Of the whole cross section, or the
square Of the diameter Now the cross
section 81 the base Of this tree AZ yari-
Gus ages was as follows 10 years, .0T
of square foot; 80 years. II square
feet 40 years. % square feet 50 years,
2s square feet 60 years, 89a square
feeti 70 years, 40 square feet; II years,
5h square feet.
In other words, tic growth Of the cross
section III the second decade WINS "A Of
a square foot; in the third decade. q
Of q square foot; in the fourth decade,
s.; fifth, . sixth, ,95; seventh, SIS
and in the last seven years, JOS. The
rate Of the growth 81 the tree culmi-
mated therefore. between the ages Of
90 and 90 years. while a superficial ex.
animation oi the rings would lead one
70 think that il reached its maximum
growth BY the age Of CO.
Il must also be remembered that in
addition 20 the growth there il con-
stantly Increasing quality increment,
Not only do the lower limbs drop Oft ia
the early life Of tree grown in the
forest, thus making the older lumber
clearer but boards two feet wide are
no longer common and are worth more
per thousand feet than boards foot
wide The splendid growth Of this par.
tieular tree II no doubt largely due to
the fact that il happened u have the
best amount Of light and moisture dur
ing the first hslf century Of its growth.
Il Il probable that bad the forest beer
properly Trimmed 81 that time The same
growth might have been maintained dur
ing the next quarter century.
Mr. Chaplin hss been 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 thr growing well covered with thrift
tn growing soft woods. he believes
rightly that it Il better to make ss00
from the piece AZ he has this year, and
be able to repeat the operation in 4 few
years, than It would Be "a make twice
that amount and have q lot 81 waste
land on his hands.