FOREST PLANTING AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY 



719 



I 





STUDENTS OF THE NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AT CORNELL UNIVER- 

 SITY PLANTING 4-YEAR-OLD WHITE PINE ON LAND ABOVE HIGH-WATER LINE. 



planting, which seems to indicate that 

 the plantation should be successful, 

 even though the soil is in some places a 

 rather heavy clay. 



The trees were shipped from the 

 New York State nurseries in the 

 Adirondacks, and reached Ithaca about 

 the 25th of April, — a little late for 

 climatic conditions as they exist in this 

 part of the State, but the best that 

 could be done, considering that the 

 nurseries are situated much further to 

 the north, v/here the season is at least 

 two weeks later than at Ithaca. They 

 were taken out and heeled in immedi- 

 ately near the planting ground, and the 

 actual work of planting was done dur- 

 ing the two succeeding weeks by stu- 

 dents in the New York State College 

 of Agriculture, who were taking 

 courses offered in forestry. The stu- 

 dents worked in crews of two each, as 

 shown in figures 4 and 5, one man car- 

 rying a bucket containing the trees and 

 doing the planting, while the other one 

 preceded him, digging holes for the 

 trees with a mattock. This method 

 was followed on a large part of the 

 area in preference to planting in fur- 

 rows turned up by the plow, because it 



was found that the surface soil, im- 

 mediately under the sod, could be 

 utilized to best advantage when plant- 

 ing in holes with the mattock ; whereas 

 much of the best soil was turned up 

 ^nd made unavailable when the plow 

 was used. The trees were spaced ap- 

 proximately six feet apart each way, 

 making about twelve hundred trees to 

 the acre. It is believed that this spacing 

 is close enough, considering the favor- 

 able climatic conditions which prevail 

 in this part of the country; and if it is 

 found necessary, on account of losses, 

 to fill up the fail-spots in subsequent 

 years, this can be done at very little 

 .extra cost or labor. 



The planting was completed on May 

 11, after two weeks of continuous 

 work, during which the weather was 

 extremely favorable. The days were 

 almost invariably clear and warm, 

 while fre(|uent showers fell at night 

 during the period of planting; and im- 

 mediately following the work several 

 heavy showers occurred which were 

 sufficient to give the newly planted 

 trees plenty of moisture. In some 

 places the soil was rather wet for ideal 

 planting, but taking everything into 



