292 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



much easier for the men to handle in 

 planting. 



In some cases, where there is not a 

 dense ground cover, the two-year-old 

 seedling will give satisfactory results, 

 and when this stock is used, closer 

 spacing could be adopted, assuring a 

 siifficient number of trees for the final 

 stand, even though a larger percentage 

 of loss was encountered. In taking up 

 such small trees from the nursery, we 

 are bound to get a more complete root 

 system with the small fibrous roots 

 which are so essential to the growth of 

 the tree. 



HOW TO PLANT. 



If the planting is to be done on a 

 large scale, it will be necessary to organ- 

 ize the men in crews and to have trees 

 purchased from a commercial or State 

 nursery. 



When the trees arrive they should 

 be taken to the planting field and un- 

 packed immediately. The roots should 

 be dipped in water and the plants 

 "heeled in," i. e., placed upright in a 

 trench and the dirt packed tight 

 around the roots. They can be kept in 

 this manner while the planting is in 

 progress. 



The working unit is two men, one of 

 them equipped with a grub hoe and the 

 other with a pail for carrying the little 

 plants. Two men working thus as a 

 pair — one making the hole and the 

 other planting the tree — will, after a 

 little experience, set out about 1,000 

 transplants or 1,200 seedlings per day. 

 If only a few thousand trees are to be 

 planted, two men can do the work 

 within the required time; but if many 

 thousand, several pairs of men will be 

 necessary. 



In making a hole, it is well to cut ofT 

 and remove a thin slice of sod, as this 

 gives the plant a better opportunity 

 to grow. The hole should be large 

 enough to give room for the roots with- 

 out crowding; but on a light soil the 

 least dirt that is moved in order to set 

 the plants properly the better it will be. 

 The plant should usually be placed in 

 the ground at the same depth that it 

 was before; but on light, sandy soil it 

 may be set slightly deeper. The earth 

 should be packed about the roots 

 thoroughly, so that the plant will be 



able to get all the moisture possible from 

 the surrounding earth. Care should be 

 taken also to place the roots in their 

 natural position. 



Special pains should be taken to 

 prevent any exposure of the roots to 

 the sun. Once they become dry the 

 plants are very likely to die. The trees 

 "heeled in" should be kept moist at 

 roots. 



Possibility of Scotch Pine as a Christmas Tree. 



In planting spruce special care must 

 be taken to get the tree in the ground the 

 same depth as it has been growing. The 

 roots should also be pieced in as near a 

 normal position as possible. 



Cultivation is not necessary before 

 planting, but it will improve the growth 

 of the plantation and is necessary for 

 catalpa. 



NUMBER OF TREES PER ACRE. 



It is absolutely necessary that a much 

 larger number of trees be planted on an 

 acre than would be expected in a mature 

 forest. It is not necessary, however, to 

 crowd the trees the way they are found 



