The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1944-02-24
Paul Bunyon Quiz

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What Is the difference between
trees growing In the forest and In
the open?
Because they are shaded by their
neighbors, branches along the
trunks of forest trees wither and die
when the tree is young. The tree
! in the forest grows tall, straight,
and slender seeking sunlight at its
crown. Having unlimited space,
trees growing in the open produce
wider-spreading branches and usu-
ally attain less height. Tall forest
trees produce the best forest prod
ucts
What Is the difference between
hcartw00d and sapw0od?
Sapwood is the light colored ir-
regular portion of wood next to the
bark. Some of its cells are active.
HeartWood is the darker colored
cylinder of wood inside the sap
wood. It's cells are for the most part
inactive, and its chief function is
to serve as a mechanical support for
the tree. As more sapWood is
formed, the inner portion changes
to heartWood. HeartWood increases
in size as the tree becomes older,
although it does not grow in the
sense of living tissue 1t is composed
of infiltrated deposits of tannins,
resins, and gums.
Is there more sap In tree in
the spring than In the winter?
No, approximately the same
amount The amount of sap present
in winter is sometimes actually
greater. The difference is simply
that it moves in the spring, lies
dormant in winter.
What becomes of fallen leaves,
twigs, etc?
They disintegrate to become hui
mus on the forest floor. Humus is
natures medium for returning to
the forest soil the natural food TAX
en- by tree growth. 1t provides rich
top soil which retains moisture.
How can the age of q tree be
determined?
The age Of trees grown in the
temperate zones can be determined
by counting the number Of annual
rings from the bark to the pith and
adding the number Of years re-
quired by the tree to attain the
height where the ring count starts.
The top of stump is ideal for
counting rings but, in standing tim
Der of moderate size, fOresters use
an increment borer. This is an in
strument which removes cylindri
cal cross-section of wood about the |
diameter Of lead pencil. The rings
in this section may be counted.
How Is 4 trec measured to de-
termine the amount Of lumber it
contains?
Perhaps the most widely used
system is that involving volume
table. This is a table of average
values giving the number Of board
feet which can be sawed out Of
trees Of different sizes. To deter
mine the approximate volume Of a
tree, one needs to know the Diane
ter in inches at breast height and
the number of merchantable logs.
Many tables are based on logs 16
feet long.
Cruisers who estimate the amount
If lumber which can be cut from a
stand of timber, may use calipers,
diameter tapes, or scale sticks to
measure the diameter at breast
height. The total height or the
number Of 16-foot logs in the tree
IAN be determined by the use Of
an Abney level, hypsometer, or a
scale stick.
Experienced timber cruisers sell
1om need instruments: years of ex
oerience enable them to estimate
he diameter and number of logs
rec will produce. The board foot
,olume is determined in the same
way.
How many tree species grow in
he United States?
According to the U. S. Depart
nent of Agriculture Check List,
here are 1862 species, 228 varieties,
md 81 hybrids--a total of LIT diff
erent forms of tree. A few are nat
lralized foreign species. Only "a
oftwoods and 10 hardWoods are
commercially important