Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-11-03

groves OF young cattio ~ ovof huo
bridge.
It beats oil how tho farmers are taking
around this cold morning.
Mrs.. Lydia Swift Of Auburn 10 visiting
hor sister, Mrs. Viola Child.
Seeking Large Trees.
Washington, Dot. 80. -Foresters Of
the United States are Interested In the
announcement recently made by the
American Genetic Association that two
prizes OF 500 each have been offered for
two photographs-one OF the largest
tree OF nut-bearing variety in the Unit
ed States, and one OF the largest broad.
leaf tree which does not bear edible
seeds. In the first class, for example,,
are included trees such a. chestnut, oak,
walnut, butternut, and pecan; and 10 the
second, trees such n elm, birch, maple.
cottonwood, and tulip poplar. No pho
tographs OF cone bearing trees are want
ed, since! 1t IL definitely known that
the California bigtrees have no rivals
among conifers. At later time the as
ISOLATION may take up the same question
as between the various kinds Of conIfers,
a. pines, spruces, frs, cedars, and cy-
presses.
The purpose of the competition, as
stated by the association, is to find out
! In what regions the native trees attain
their largest growth, snd under what
conditions they thrive best. When these
large trees are located and the measure
ments authenticated, the association
hopes that 1t may be possible to secure
seeds, cuttings, or grating wood from
thrifty trees In the region where they
grow, to see whether finer specimens
may be propagated In other parts Of the
country. It 10 hoped In this manner to
get some particularly choice strains OF
native trees established In regions where
good specimens are not now found.
THE INFLUENCE OF HEREDITY
It 10 assumed by tho association that
seed from the region where the largest
trees grow ought TO produce larger and
stronger trees than from regions where
only small trees are found. By finding
out where the large trees are and then
planting seeds from them In other loca'
i lions, the association hopes to demon.
strate the practical value to horticul.
ture and forestry of the laws Of heredity
Now that reforestation Is becoming q
pressing problem, the question of seed
trees which will produce particularly
good offspring is naturally coming to the
fore.
Other influences, of course, will have q
bearing on the subject, and the results Of
the investigation may help to settle the
question as to whether trees can be &C
climatixed. Even II they can not be-
there may be cases where trees In . new
environment may make better growth
than the best In their native range. This
is said to be true of certain Of the Aus
traliau eucalyptus, and of the Monterey
pine which does not amount to much In
it's native location In California but has
proved of great value In New Zealand.
The federal forest service has conduct
ed some studies along this line and has
discovered, for example, that the Doug
las FIR of the Rocky Mountains and the
Douglas fir of the Pacific Coast, while
the same species, have different charao.
teristics and will produce trees like the
parent stock, modified somewhat. how
ever, by environment. For example, II
the two forms are planted together, dur
ing the earlier period Of its life at least
the Pacific Coast form will make larg.
or and stronger growth than the Rock
Mountain tree, provided 1t is not affect.
ed by adverse local conditions.
Several other questions, such as the
climatic requirements of trees grown In
different localities, will, of course, enter
into the final solution of the problem
1t has been found In Germany, for ex
ample, that the Pacific Coast form Of
Douglas fir is not as hardy az the Rocky
Mountain form, which has to endure In
its native habitat severe extremes Of
temperature, and German foresters have
been working to discover q strain oil
Douglas fir which will combine, Is fal
40 possible, the hardness OF the Rocky
Mountain form and the largo size Of thu
Pacific Coast form.
TREES ARE FAsTIDIoUs
Some authorities 60 80 far az to say
that even the ingenuity and persever
ance Of man are unable to induce trees
to change their habits far enough t.
adopt q country not closely like their ma
tive habitat.
This fastidiousness In the habits oil
trees has its good and It's bad sides, they
say. 1t absolutely limits the forester's
choice of trees to grow In given region
But, on the other hand, there 10 prac
ticai certainty Of results. II beech oil
spruce thrives where the average
warmth and moisture of the growing
season from year to year ranges between
certain degrees, then wherever else the
same average 10 found, In the northern
hemisphere at least, the forester may
plant beech or spruce, whether or no,
they are already there, with confidence
that they will flourish.
The announced purpose Of the Gsnetic
Association is to bring about the dissem.
inatiou of seed or stock OF the best spec
linens, when found, to demonstrate, II
possible, the value of heredity in tree
growing. The contest for the 500 pho
tographs is announced to end on July 1,
/ 1915.