The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-10-30
Seeking Largest Trees.


been offered for two Photographs
one of the largest tree of a nut-bear-
ing variety in the United States, and
one of the largest broad-leaf tree
which does not bear edible seeds.
In the first class, for example. are in
cluded trees such as chestnut, OAK,
walnut, butternut, and pecan; and
in the second, trees such as elm,
birch, maple, cottonwood, and tulip
poplar. No Photographs of cone
bearing trees are wanted, since II is
definitely known that the California
bigtrees have no rivals among conf
fers. At later time the association
may take up the same question as
between the various kinds of conf
fers,-as pines, spruces, frs, cedars.
and expresses.
The purpose of the competition,
as stated by the association, is to
find out in what regions the native
trees attain their largest growth, and
under what conditions they thrive
best. When these large trees are To-
Gated and the measurements anthem
ticated, the association hopes that
il 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.
1t is 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.
1t is assumed by the 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 locations,
the association hopes to demonstrate
the practical value to horticulture
and forestry of the laws of heredity.
Now that reforestation is becoming
q pressing problem, the question of
seed tres which will produce particu-
iarly good offsprings is naturally
coming TO the fore.
Other influences, of course, will
have a bearing on the subject. and
the results of the investigation may
help TO settle the question as to
whether trees can be aclimatized. Ee-
4cp IL they can not be, there may be
cases where trees in new environ
ment may make better growth than
che best in their nativer ange. This is
to be true of certain of the Australi-
an ,eucalypts, and of the Monterey
pine which does not amount to much
10 its native location in California
but has proved of great value in New
Zealand.
ss..e federal forest service has COM
Quoted some studies along this line
and has discovered, for example, that
the Douglas fir of the Rocky Noun
tains and the Douglas fir of the Pa
cific coast, while the same species,
have different characteristics and will
produce trees like the parent stock,
modified somewhat, however, by en-
vironment For example. Il the two
forms are planted together, during
the earlier period of its life az least
the Pacific coast form will maze a
larger and strclger growth than the
Rocky Mountain tree, provided it is
not affected by adverse local conai-
tions.
Several other questions, such as
the climate requirements of trees
grown in different localities, will,
of course, enter into the final solu-
tion of the problem. 1t has been
found in Germany, for example, that
the Pacific coast form of Douglas
fir is not as hardy las the Rocky
Mountain form, which has to endure
in it's native habitat severe extremes
of temperature, and German forest
ers have been working TO discover
a strain of Douglas fir which will
combine, as far as possible, the hardi-
ness OF the Rocky Mountain form
and the large size of the Pacific
coast form.
Trees are FastidiOus.
Some authorities go so far as to
say that even the ingenuity and pres
everance of man are unable to in
duce trees TO change their habits far
enough TO adopt country not close
ly like their native habitat.
This tastidiousness in the habits of
trees has its good and its bad sides,
they say. II absolutely limits the for
ohnina of traac N prnM I'm a