336 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Trials of ^•al•ions iiietliods of covering seed beds toiiroeiire protectiou from 

 birds, and at the same time avoid damping-oflC. has resulted in the use of a box 

 in which both top and sides are of wire. Movable lath screens, together with 

 thick paper inclosing the sides of the box have proved of value in regulating 

 temperature and moisture conditions. With this type of seed bed from 10,000 

 to 22,000 trees are grown in a 4 ft. by 12 ft. bed. The cost of the wire box is 

 $3 per bed. Including lath shade. The best germination is secured by pressing 

 the seeds into and even with the surface of the bed before covering with soil. 



Much difficulty having been experienced in regulating the winter cover of the 

 seed beds to conform with the snowfall for any particular season, the plan was 

 successfully adopted of covering the beds with one thickness of burlap placed 

 over about 2 iu. of snow. The burlap prevents the melting of the snow and the 

 thawing of the soil underneath, and at the same time Is so porous that heating 

 or molding does not occur. It has been found cheaper than a leaf covering. 

 Insect troubles confined chiefly to the attacks of chermes have been practically 

 exterminated by using kerosene emulsion, which is applied as early as possible 

 after the eggs hatch. The loss due to transplanting has been reduced to a 

 minimum by wetting the soil when necessary before planting. This was cheaper 

 than the temporary use of lath shade in dry weather. 



The quantity production of the nursery especially with tap root species is in- 

 creased by transplanting the seedlings when 1 year old. Experiments along 

 this line with Scotch pine show that, as far as this species is concerned, 1-year- 

 old seedlings transplanted 2 years are far larger and stronger plants than 

 2-year-old seedlings transplanted 1 year. In order to determine the density in 

 production suitable for the Scotch pine, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 oz. of seed were sown 

 in 5 different beds. At the end of 2 years there were over 10,000 seedlings in 

 the bed whore 8 oz. of seed had been sown, which was about 1,500 more than in 

 the bed where 7 oz. was sown. The trees in both beds were equally good, 

 were raised at the same cost, and were better than in the bed where only 6 oz. 

 of seed were sown. The experiment showed that the use of more than 8 oz. of 

 seed is not desirable as many of the plants are apt to be stunted and suppressed, 

 but the actual production from very dense sowing was fully as good as from 

 the bed where only 6 oz. of seed was sown. 



In cooperation with the Forest Service of this Department a series of soil 

 tests was started in the spring of 1907. One 4 ft. by 12 ft. bed was covered 

 with pure muck to a depth of 1 ft., and sown in equal parts with white pine, 

 Scotch pine, and red spruce seed. Thirty-six other beds were used in rows of 

 G each. The beds in rows 1 and 2 were covered with layers of muck 6 in. and 

 3 in. thick respectively. Row 3 was a check, 4 was covered with 3 in. of muck 

 mixed with 3 in. of well rotted manure, 5 had a 3 in. coat of manure, and 6 a 

 5 iu. coat. With the exception of the muck applied 1 ft. deep, these fertilizers 

 were all worked into the soil and thoroughly mixed. AVhite and Scotch pine 

 seeds were sown in all the beds. 



An examination of the 2-year-old seedlings showed that wherever muck was 

 used the seedlings are smaller and have a poorer color than on the check bed 

 except iu the case where muck was used without soil, which bed compares 

 favorably with the check. The larger the amount of manure used the better 

 the vigor and color of the seedlings. Muck and manure mixed gave poorer re- 

 sults than where the same quantity of manure was used alone. 



In addition to the soil test, a top-dressing of finely ground bone meal was 

 applied to one-third of each bed when the seedlings were 1 year old. The re- 

 sults were especially favorable with the pine seedlings on check beds, and 

 where little or no manure was used. The seedlings on muck responded least. 



