dividuals have increased over four feet in
height during the present year. It is interesting to note as
an indication of what Massachusetts soil of poor quality is
capable of producing, that various native trees have appeared
spontaneously in the plantation since animals were excluded
from this field. Among these are White Pines 6 to 8 feet high,
Pitch Pines 14 feet high, a White Oak 15 feet high and a Gray
Birch 17 feet high. The Trustees offered this prize in the
belief that it would cause a plantation to be made capable of
demonstrating that unproductive lands in this State could be
cheaply covered with trees, and the result of Mr. French's
experiment seems to be conclusive in this respect. It has
shown that the European Larch can be grown rapidly and cheaply
in this climate upon very poor soil, but it seems to us to
have failed to show that this tree has advantages for general
economic planting in this State which are not possessed in
an equal degree by some of our native trees. Land which will
produce a crop of Larch will produce in the same time at least
a crop of white pine. There can be no comparison in the value
of these two trees in Massachusetts. The White Pine is more
easily transplanted than the Larch, it grows with equal and
perhaps greater rapidity, and it produces material for which
there is an assured and increasing demand. The White Pine,
moreover, has so far escaped serious attacks of insects and
dangerous fungoid diseases which now threaten to exterminate
in different parts of Europe extensive plantations of Larch.

Your Committee find that Mr. French has complied with all
the requirements of the competition: they recommend that the
premium of one thousand dollars be paid to him.

Answers to Correspondents.

When the woods are cut clean in Southern New Hampshire White Pine
comes in very, very thickly. Is it best to thin out the growth or
allow the trees to crowd and shade the feebler ones slowly to death?

J. D. L.

It is better to thin such over-crowded seedlings early, if serviceable
timber is wanted in the shortest time. The statement that close growth
is needed to produce long, clean timber, needs some limitation. No
plant can develop satisfactorily without sufficient light, air and
feeding room. When trees are too thickly crowded the vigor of
every one is impaired, and t