942 JOURNAI, OF FORESTRY 



Experiments by the author show that planting with a semi-conical 

 spade produces better plants and is cheaper than the other more elab- 

 orate planting methods and that the cost of planting, calculated through 

 the first three years is actually less than the cost of sowing. Like 

 Burkhardt, he concludes that natural regeneration has its rightful 

 sphere as has sowing and planting ; but that, in general, artificial culture 

 has progressed far in advance, and now is passing out of the sowing 

 stage into that of the higher forest industry, namely planting. 



J. R. 

 Kicnitz, M. IVas ist denn jctzt Mode: Soot odcr Pfianziing? Zeitschr. 

 Forst-u. Jagdw., 51 :417-436, fig. 1-9. 1919. 



From studies of the larch outside of its native 

 Studying haljitat, several German foresters have concluded 



the Larch tliat depth of soil is an important factor in gov- 



erning the degree of thrift and range of this tree. 

 However, it thrives very often on very shallow soils in the Canton Uri, 

 Switzerland, where it grows naturally. Such terrain in itself offers no 

 inducement to the growth of the tree ; the governing factor is a plentiful 

 and permanent supply of soil moisture. The fact that the larch prefers 

 north slopes to southerly exposures in spite of its great demand for 

 light, tends to explain the great moisture demand of this tree. It over- 

 comes surface dryness, through its deep growing main root, and sub- 

 sidiary "Senkerwurzel" which often attain a length of 9 meters. The 

 enormous water requirement further is necessary because of the very 

 heavy water loss through transpiration, as compared with spruce, pine, 

 beech, etc. This explains the faCt that the tree is the only native conifer 

 which sheds its foliage in the winter, and this is done to avoid a conflict 

 between transpiration and reduced water absorption. In extraordinary 

 drought periods, larch saves itself by its capability of shedding its 

 foliage, while other conifers lose considerable through death. Gunnar's 

 two species of larch — the Tirolian species and the species growing in 

 Scotland and Silesia — are but varieties as determined by moisture 

 supply. The latter variety is found on much drier sites and has a very 

 open crown. Its transpiration space must be limited to the minimum 

 or else the tree would not be able to survive. The fact that larch will 

 not grow in mixture with Norway spruce ( Picca excclsa) even though 

 it grows faster in youth, is not due to greater intolerance, but because 

 the heavy crown cover of spruce on the one hand prevents precipitation 



