FOREST commissioner's REPORT. ']^ 



crown and an inch or two of the stem— depending on the age and 

 size of the plant— project above the ground. Then the mattock 

 should be withdrawn, the plant being still held upright, and the 

 sod allowed to fall back. The earth around the base of the plant 

 should then be firmed with the hands, the feet used to tramp 

 down the sod, and the process is complete. 



The trees should be planted in parallel rows, a line being kept 

 by the eye. They should be spaced 6 feet apart each way, about 

 two steps plus the distance to where the mattock hits the ground 

 on a natural swing, and not directly opposite, but alternating 

 in the rows. 



The key to successful planting lies in getting the roots prop- 

 erly placed, as the tree is put in the ground. The hole should be 

 made deep enough so that the root lies straight down freely. 

 Properly planted, failure can be due only to poor stock, or ex- 

 tremely dry weather immediately following the planting. It 

 may be that the roots have become dried out in shipping, or 

 may have been badly barked in transplanting — whereat the 

 shipper or transportation company is at fault. If a rain can be 

 prophesied for the next day, or a shower threatens, then is the 

 time to get the plants in the ground. Cloudy days, and days 

 when there is no wind, should be taken advantage of. 



Preparation of the Ground: — No special preparation of the 

 ground is required for planting, as is often the case in seeding. 

 Sometimes a plough furrow is run along the lines in which the 

 young trees are to be set. This is, however, an unnecessary and 

 useless procedure in many cases. 



On some areas or parts of an area it may be well to clean out 

 any young hardwood or shrubby growth that is throwing a shade 

 on the ground. It is useless to plant white pine on an area that 

 will be covered with heavy shade as soon as the foliage comes 

 out ; spruce does better in shade, and larch does not stand it 

 at all. Very often the site can be put in condition for planting 

 by the use of a heavy brush knife or sickle, in a short time. In 

 doing this it is not always necessary to clear the whole of the 

 ground ; it is sometimes sufficient to clean off three feet or so 

 immediately around where each tree is to be put in. 



Time for Planting: — The best time for planting is immediately 

 after the frost has left the ground in the spring — or after enough 

 has left to preclude the danger of frost throw, so that the roots 



