Some Aspects of European Forestry. 491 



planted the following spring and, for purposes of comparison, 

 planted close by 8,000 of the same stock, just removed from the 

 transplant beds. Even to this day no difference can be described 

 in the development of the two plantations. 



Hardwoods are almost always planted early in spring: for 

 their root activity continues much later into autumn than does 

 that of conifers. 



Much difference of opinion exists as to spacing in planting. 

 Up to late years there has been a marked tendency towards close 

 spacing on the basis that a delayed closing of the crown cover 

 encourages weeds and grass and a general impoverishment of 

 the soil, also that the yield per unit of area is greatest with close 

 spacing. Now the pendulum seems to be swinging back in the 

 direction of wider spacing on the ground that the yield is much 

 greater in the long run even though early thinnings are not pos- 

 sible — or necessary — and that the resistance of the single tree — 

 and hence of the whole stand — to wind, snow, ice, etc., is un- 

 doubtedly much greater with wider spacing. 



The best practice, however, remains conservative in this re- 

 spect, preferring to remedy possible crowding by an early cutting 

 out of the oft'enders to the almost irremediable dangers of soil 

 deterioration. The happy medium is a matter of experience and 

 can not be arbitrarily fixed for a whole Forest nor even for an 

 entire cutting area, but must be varied to meet changing local 

 conditions. 



The Austrian Forest Experiment Station at Mariabrunn has 

 experimented with various spacings for spruce and under aver- 

 age conditions a spacing of 4.9 feet, each way, seemed to give 

 the best results. 



A strong argument of those favoring wider spacing is the smaller 

 cost ; for, obviously, if with a spacing of 6J feet only 2,500 plants 

 are required for a given unit of area the cost in plant material 

 is only one-fourth that of a spacing of 3I feet which requires 

 10,000 plants for the same area. This fact, together with the 

 lack of market for the products of early thinnings has led to a 

 wider spacing in the parts of Austria where conditions are more 

 -extensive. 



An important step in planting is the careful culling of all in- 

 ferior, unsuitable stock. Not only are diseased plants culled 

 but also those whose roots are seriously damaged and abnormally 



