Sonic Aspects of European forestry. 489 



part of April is usually chosen since it fills this requirement ex- 

 cept for a slight root activity and yet avoids the danger of heavy 

 frost. Nor is there much hesitancy in transplanting even later, 

 especially conifers on favorable sites. Where the rush of other 

 work prevents timely transplanting, it is usual to take out the 

 plants early in March and to heel them in at some cool place. 

 The plants are then covered with moss, brush or some other non- 

 conductor of heat and kept until an opportunity offers to set 

 them in the transplant bed. Occasionally they are placed in reg- 

 ular snow pits. Oberforstrat Reuss cites an instance where he 

 lifted the plants in fall, heeled them in immediately and success- 

 fully transplanted them the following spring. 



An interesting practice in transplanting is the trimming of the 

 roots to a suitable length. The shoot is seldom trimmed unless 

 as in hardwoods, transplanting is repeated several times. Ac- 

 cording to Oberstrat Reuss' experiments* this trimming of the 

 roots if carefully done is directly beneficial in creating a com- 

 pact, shallow root system. 



The best practice in transplanting favors fairly wide spacing 

 (4 or 5 inches apart is usual) since experience has shown that 

 narrow spacing results in a tendency to develop the roots down- 

 ward rather than laterally. For transplanting various boards 

 and other mechanical devices (Hacker's Transplanting machine)** 

 are used but the tendency is away from these and towards the 

 more natural transplanting by hand with only a hoe to help,, 

 whereby each plant is assured its proper position. Quantitatively 

 the instruments are superior, but qualitatively the results can not 

 equal those of hand work — this, many think, is well worth the 

 extra price. "Puddling" is being abandoned because it tends 

 to paste the roots together and forces the laterals down too deep 

 in the hole, and because the good effects are equally well secured 

 by a cover of damp moss. 



To sum up, the Austrian nursery practice aims to grow stock 

 with a normal root system; for this is prerequisite for successful 

 planting. But even the best of stock can be, and is, ruined by 

 careless, incorrect planting, hence the greatest attention is paid 



*Mittei!ungen des Oesterreichischen fortslichen Versuchswesen II. 2. 

 1879. 

 **See "Forestry Quarterly," Vol. IV, p. 154. 



