CONCERNING SEED SPOTS. 



By J. A. Larsen and R. J. Smith. 



In connection with the sowing of Yellow pine, White pine and 

 Western larch on The Blackfeet National Forest during the sea- 

 sons of 191 1 and 1912, seventeen and one-half acres were sowed 

 directly in seed spots. The total of this sowing is divided into: 



A. 10 acres of Yellow pine (Black Hills) spring 191 1. 



B. 5 acres of Yellow pine (Black Hills) spring 191 1. 



C. 2^ acres of Western larch (Blackfeet) spring 1912. 



Each area covered burns of the season 19 10 and each area 

 lying on a different watershed draining south, north and east 

 respectively. 



On area A where every bit of humus, sod and other material 

 had been consumed, and where all the methods of direct seeding 

 used were eminently successful, every one of the seed spots had 

 seedlings. On area B where there was considerable sod every- 

 thing failed but the seed spots. While on C with all humus, 

 litter and brush removed the 15 acres sowed to White pine with 

 cornplanters and broadcast failed, and the 2^ acres of seed spots 

 proved successful. 



Various reasons contributed toward the failure of the corn- 

 planter method, such as sod, rodents and lack of moisture. 



Before undertaking this work the writers entertained some 

 skepticism as to the success of the seed spots method, largely be- 

 cause of the numerous failures of earlier experiments at large; 

 but our results have shown it to be safer than sowing with corn- 

 planter. 



On the land where the soil had been burned off completely the 

 spots were made with a garden rake, and in the presence of sod a 

 mattock was used. After the litter had been removed from a spot 

 from eight to ten inches wide the soil was loosened and mashed up 

 to a depth of from one-half to one inch, whereupon a handful of 

 loose soil picked up from the spot was strewn over the seed after it 

 had been firmly pressed into a flat surface with the foot. Where 

 the lay of the ground did not dip over 15% the seed were stuck in- 



