REVIEWS 371 



Economic Desirability of Tree Planting in Grasslands. By N. 

 Spiridonov. Agricultural Gazette. No. 12 (128). Petrograd. March, 

 1916. Pp. 310-311. 



Observations were carried on in Russia for a period of 25 

 years on about 110 acres on the effect of trees upon the grass cover 

 within a wooded region. The tract was divided into 18 meadows, 

 part of which was free from trees; the remainder was sown to grass 

 and the trees retained as far as possible. 



During two or three periods of great drought the value of the 

 treeless grasslands fell off 12 to 50 per cent, while that of the grass- 

 lands planted with trees increased 16 per cent. In rainy years the 

 latter exhibit much better vegetation than that of grassland without 

 trees. 



At first the treeless grasslands were the best as regards vegetation ; 

 about 12 years afterward, however, the composition and appearance 

 of the vegetation suddenly grew worse, and at the present time (25 

 to 30 years after) these grasslands have the aspect of moorland 

 covered with Nardus stricta L. Hillage, manuring, and sowing with 

 good forage crops failed to produce a permanent improvement in 

 these grasslands. The turf layer was broken up and the grasslands 

 were plowed, after which various crops were sown, but the result 

 was always the same. In the first year the grassland produced 35.8 

 cwt. of hay per acre, containing 80 per cent of leguminous plants; 

 in the second year it produced about 17.9 cwt. of hay, in which 

 gramineae predominated; in the third and fourth years the crop 

 became poor; it afterward fell off rapidly to such an extent as to be 

 below that of the uncultivated grasslands. 



In the grasslands planted with deciduous trees (birches) the 

 vegetation begins to improve toward the twelfth year after they have 

 begun to be harvested, and attains its maximum development be- 

 tween the sixteenth and twentieth years. Then, when the tops of 

 trees and the roots close, there is a rapid retrogression; vegetation 

 becomes. sparser, the leguminous plants disappear, and the crop sud- 

 denly declines. If, however, during this period the trees are cut, 

 there is for three or four years a fine hay crop, rich in Lathyrus 

 pratensis, Trifolium montanum, and in T. incarnatum. Such cut- 

 ting, however, is not desirable. It is better to be satisfied with poor 

 crops for six or eight years (the crops, however, never fall below 



