• Jett, J.B.
  North Carolina State University
  
• Guiness, W.M.
  Botwater, Inc.
  

Eight pine sources were planted on a sandhill site in South Carolina. Total height, dbh, wood specific gravity, tracheid length, and fusiform rust (Cronartium quercum [Berk.] Miyabe ex. Shirai f. sp. fusiforme) infection were evaluated following 17 growing seasons. The choctawhatchee source of sand pine (Pinus clausa [Chapm.] Vasey) is apparently well adapted to the deep sands of the Carolina sandhills and exhibited superior height and diameter growth to slash pine, two local sources of loblolly pine (P. taeda L.), and two sources of Virginia pine (P. virginiana Mill.). A combination of excellent growth and reasonable survival resulted in significantly more cubic foot volume per acre than the other seed sources or species included in this study. Despite having the lowest weighted specific gravity of all sources in this planting, the Choctawhatchee sand pine produced more than twice as much dry weight per acre than any other source.

A subgke open-pollinated family of drought-hardy loblolly pine from Bastrop County, TX, displayed excellent growth, survival, rust resistance, and wood quality. Its performance warrants a more careful and wider evaluation of this seed source for use on these difficult sandhills sites in the Carolinas.