QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

W. W. BERGOFFEN.

What is the difference between trees and shrubs?

There is no clear-cut distinction. However, a tree is commonly defined as a woody plant that reaches a height of at least 10 feet, has a single stem, and has a definite crown shape. A shrub usually is less than 10 feet tall and has several stems without a definite crown shape. Some specimens of plant species may take the form of a tree while others of the same species may take the form of a shrub sumac and willows, for example.

How many different kinds of forest trees are there in the United States? Precisely 1,182.

What is the largest genus of forest trees?

Hawthorns; the genus Crataegus comprises about 165 species.

What is the largest genus of commercial forest trees?

Oaks about 60 species, not counting many hybrids and varieties.

What section has the most kinds of trees?

The Southeast Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi has at least half of all the species in the country.

What State has the largest number of different kinds of trees?

Florida has 314 species of native and naturalized trees. Texas, Georgia, and California follow in that order.

What State has the least number of different kinds of trees?

North Dakota is almost treeless except, for example, cottonwoods and willows that grow along the streams. That is no aspersion, however, against that beautiful, happy State; North Dakota is a "grass" region; North Dakotans are as interested as anybody in trees.

What is a "softwood"?

A name in general use for trees of the pine family the conifers, or cone bearers.

What is a "hardwood"?

A name in general use for trees belonging to families other than the conifers such as the oaks, maples, hickories, and other broadleaf trees.

What is our most important commercial forest tree?

In terms of volume of standing timber and value of products cut, Douglas-fir is considered the most important commercial tree.

In what kinds of trees in the United States are males and females separated?

The holly, persimmon, ash, juniper, most maples, yew, and several of the less familiar trees. In those cases it is essential that both sexes be present to obtain well-developed fruit and seed.

Can any trees reproduce without fertilization?

Yes; asexual reproduction has been found to occur in several birches and perhaps in other species.

What is the biggest living tree in the world?

The General Sherman Bigtree in the Sequoia National Park in California. It is nearly 115 feet in circumference and 273 feet in height; its volume is 600,120 board feet.

What is the world's tallest known standing tree?

Founders Tree, a redwood in the Humboldt State Redwood Park near Dyerville in California. It was 364 feet tall in 1947.

Are any living trees direct descendants of fossil ancestors?

Yes; most familiar example is ginkgo, a native of China that is now cultivated in the United States. The recently discovered "Dawn Redwood" (Metasequoia), also of China, was at first believed to be a "living fossil" but recent indications are that it may be a `'surviving ancestor" of the well-known American coast redwood. In 1948, Dr. Ralph Chaney, of the University of California, headed an expedition into China to study the Dawn Redwood and bring back specimens and seed of it. Seedlings and transplants from China are growing at the University of California as a result of his effort. A league for the protection and preservation of these trees in China has been founded and is being encouraged and assisted by the "Save the Redwoods League" of the west coast.

What is the oldest tree?

The oldest tree is probably one of the big giant sequoias in California, variously estimated to be between 3,000 and 4,000 years old. The "Dragon Tree" of the Canary Islands, which was blown over in 1868, was estimated to have been as old as the Great Pyramid Cheops in Egypt about 4,000 years old.

Do tree seeds all weigh the same?

Seed from conifers range from a half thousand seeds up to nearly a half million to the pound. White pine seed averages 27,000 a pound, for example; red pine, approximately 52,000; black spruce, 400,000; and Atlantic white-cedar, 460,000 to the pound. Torrey pine has about 500 seeds to the pound.

How large do pine cones grow?

The sugar pine of the Pacific Coast States produces the longest of pine cones, some exceeding 20 inches in length. The Mugho pine of Europe produces cones from less than 1 inch to 2 inches long.

What is the difference between a bigtree, or giant sequoia, and a redwood?

These trees are different species of the same family and genus. Botanically, the giant sequoia is known as Sequoia gigantea, and the redwood is known as Sequoia sempervirens. They grow in different places. The giant sequoia is found only on the middle slopes of the Sierra Nevada in California. The redwood grows only along the Pacific coast, within reach of the ocean fogs, from Monterey County northward to the Oregon line. The redwood has needlelike leaves; the giant sequoia has scalelike leaves.

Is it a good practice to plant a new tree for every one cut?

No. The use of a method of cutting that will assure renewal of the woods by natural reproduction is generally more economical and satisfactory. Nature usually plants many times as many trees as man cuts, if man helps nature by providing proper conditions on the cut-over areas.

What kind of trees should I plant on my land?

The- safest rule is to plant trees that grow naturally in your neighborhood, because they are adapted to the local climate and soils. Before planting any exotic foreign or introduced species, consult your local forester or nurseryman to find out if it will grow on your soil.

Can I get trees from the Government to plant on my land?

The Federal Government does not distribute trees free of charge. It does, however, cooperate with the various State forestry agencies in producing and distributing trees for planting on private lands. Applications to buy trees should be made to the State forester. Trees grown in the State nurseries arc sold at approximate cost of production.

Ornamental trees, of course, can be purchased from private nurseries.

How can we start a community forest?

Because community forests are publicly owned, the first step is to get the support of local authorities who must obtain title to the land for a county forest, the county board; for a municipal forest, the mayor and his governing body; for a school forest, the school superintendent. Enlist also the support of other interested public-service organizations. Work up a plan of operation to cover the sort of forest desired as well as the type of development and use. Appoint a forest board to develop and manage the property. Seek expert advice on forest management from your local forester.

In planting, do the roots need special care?

John Burroughs, the eminent naturalist, wrote to the principal of a school in Pennsylvania:

"I am glad to hear that your pupils are going to keep Arbor Day; if you can teach them to love and to cherish trees, you will teach them a very valuable lesson. . . . Give the tree roots plenty of room and a soft, deep bed to rest in; tuck it up carefully with your hands. The roots of the tree are much more soft and tender than its branches and cannot be handled too gently. It is as important to know how to dig up a tree as how to plant it. A friend of mine brings quite large hemlocks from the woods and plants them on his grounds and has no trouble to make them live. He does much of the work with his hands, follows the roots along and lifts them gently from the soil, and never allows them to dry. The real feeders of the tree are very small, mere threads; the bulky, muscular roots are for strength; its life is in the rootlets that fringe them, and to let these delicate feeders dry, even by an hour's exposure to a drying air, is to endanger the vitality of the tree. By the way, in your planting do not forget the hemlock. It is a clean, healthy, handsome tree. Do not forget the ash, either, if only for the beautiful plum-colored foliage in autumn. Above all, do not forget the linden or basswood, a tree generally overlooked by our arborists. It is as pleasing as maple in form and foliage, and then it is such a friend of the honey bee. What a harvest they get from it, and just when other sources of honey supply begin to fail.

"I have somewhere said that when you bait your hook with your heart the fish always bite, and I will now say that when you plant a tree with love it always lives; you do it with such care and thoroughness."

How successful are shelterbelt plantings in the Prairie States?

Those plantings are generally successful. They directly affect the agricultural welfare of the region. They reduce excessive evaporation and the blowing of soil, and are a protective screen against the burning winds of summer and freezing winds of winter.

What trees are most commonly used for Christmas trees?

The greatest demand has been for balsam fir and Douglas-fir. Other popular Christmas trees, in order of their production, are black spruce, redcedar, white spruce, Scotch pine and southern pine, red spruce, Virginia pine, white fir, Norway spruce.

How many Christmas trees are produced in the United States each year?

About 21,000,000 trees; 87 percent are produced on private forest lands; about a million are harvested on the national forests. About 100,000 acres of woodland (most of it owned by farmers) are devoted solely to growing Christmas trees.