FURROW PLANTING UPON THE SAND PLAINS OF 



MICHIGAN 



By Huber C. Hilton 



forest Supervisor, Michiijan Xational I'orcst 



The planting of trees in furrows is now unifornil} practiced in re- 

 fc^restation work upon the jack-pine plains of Michigan, both by the 

 State and Federal governments. This method has developed in an 

 effort to find a more economical method than any of the old-style prac- 

 tices, as well as to determine a method which will also give more satis- 

 factory results on this particular class of site. The i)lanting of nursery 

 stock in furrows developed gradually, after the usual or former com- 

 mon methods had proven unsatisfactory because of the small survival 

 secured or the excessive cost. The usual plains region supports an 

 excessive amount of ground cover or vegetation which forms a com- 

 plete density in many cases. This ground cover commonly includes 

 grasses, weeds, huckleberry, wintergreen, cinquefoil, kinnikinic, ceano- 

 thus, and sweet fern — plants which form a low. and usually a quite 

 dense, cover. The methods of planting by the use of spade, mattock. 

 or special planting tool without an additional prei)aration of the soil 

 proved costly and inadvisable, because of the length of time required 

 for the trees to become established and to overcome the competition of 

 surrounding vegetation. The use of mattocks, which is a common 

 method in eastern United States and in the mountain sections, proved 

 inadvisable for the same reasons. .Vlso the preparation of holes and 

 later the actual planting often comprised two difTerent operations and 

 required two men to complete it — one to make the hole and one to set 

 the tree. In planting in furrows one man completes the operation. 

 The use of planting tools alone has also been tried, but is unsatisfac- 

 tory, both because of the competition of the surrounding vegetation is 

 not reduced and because it is difficult to keep track of the planting rows 

 where small stock is used. The furrowed planting area serves as an 

 additional protective measure, since the furrows retard the raj)id spread 

 of a ground fire for several years after the ])lanting. 



I'l.A.NTINl", Ok I'TRKOWIXC. 



A sulk\ pl(A\ lias i)roven superior [o the walking st\ le, in that a better 

 or cleaner furrow is secured and ihe cost of furnnving reduced hv its 



