154 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



rule is to sow at least twice as many seed as the contemplated number of 

 seedlings at the end of the first year. When the broadcast method is used 

 150 to 300 seedlings per suuare foot at the end of the first year is con- 

 sidered a good density while 80 to 120 seedlings per square foot is con- 

 sidered a good stand when the drills are six inches apart. It is recog- 

 nized that the stand is going to vary with the species, method of sowing, 

 site, and length of time the seedlings are to remain in the nursery bed. 

 While 500 seedlings to the square foot may be possible with white pine 

 (pinns strobus) in New York State it is not the best density for Bull pine 

 (pinus ponderosa) in Nebraska. Where seedlngs are to remain in the 

 seedbed only one year seed must be sown ticker than where they are to 

 remain two years unless there is danger of considerable loss the second 

 year. Thus when jack pine (pinns divaricata) are to be transplanted at 

 end of the first year it is not uncommon to have 80 to the linear foot 

 while 50 to 60 would be a dense stand of two year old seedlings. 



Special treatment of coniferous seed with red lead is usually neces- 

 sary to prevent their being eaten by birds. The easiest method of treat- 

 ment is to moisten a bucketful of seed and then stir in red lead. The 

 film of moisture will cause the red lead to stick to the seed and only a 

 few minutes stirring is required to get an even coating. This process 

 usually does not cost more than two cents per pound as one pound of the 

 red lead will treat from 5 to 8 bushels of seed and the red lead has been 

 known to remain on the planted seed for a year. Moistening coniferous 

 seed or stratifying it in moist sand for a few days decreases the time 

 necessary for germination after planting and it may increase the per 

 cent that will germinate. 



Weeding. 



It is not often that more than 3 or 4 weedings are necessary in any 

 season. New ground usually requires more weeding than that which 

 has been in the nursey for a considerable lenght of time, and the first two 

 weedings are much worse than the third and fourth weedings. Weeding 

 Is usually limited by thorough cultivation but even with the best of 

 cultivation some weeding will be necessary. 



Watering. 



Watering varies largely with site and season. At Halsey, Nebraska, 

 it was customary for years to water the seedlings by spray from hose. 

 This was a tedious process and in a climate where evaporation is rapid 

 it often happened that watering throughout the late afternoon and up to 

 late at night was not adequate during the driest and hottest periods. Dur- 

 ing the last three years the system has been changed to surface irrigation 

 with good results in lessening the cost of labor and in securing adequate 

 watering. The system of surface irrigation for forest nurseries was first 

 suggested by the writer for ranger nurseries in New Mexico where the 

 soil was heavy and the ranger's time was occupied by many other duties. 

 It was later experimented with in the large nurseries under the direction 

 of ]\Ir. L. C. Miller and has been greatly improved by him. 



