• Bublitz, W.J.
  School of Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oreg.
  
• Chia, S.N.
  School of Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oreg.
  

A kraft pulping study was made on 13-year-old Douglas-fir thinnings from an experimental plantation to determine if tree and wood quality in later years can be predicted accurately from properties of 2-year-old seedlings. Comparing the pulps at standard freenesses and sheet densities, we found significant differences in tensile and bursting strengths by the nursery of origin, and lesser differences with classification by branch count. No significant differences were found for pulp yields, Kappa numbers, and the other common strength factors. The commercial implications of this study are that pulp from Douglas-fir thinnings may be profitably utilized by the kraft linerboard industry, and that seedling characteristics may help in selecting trees with properties best suited to pulp and paper usage.