Effective Fertilisers in Nurseries. 35 



the fertilizer application was repeated and the beds prepared. 

 These were made twenty-live by four feet, and each received one 

 pound of white pine seed sown broadcast. On some of the 

 beds, however, red pine and Norway spruce were sown. 



It should be stated that the white pine seed was not of the best 

 quality, but an amount somewhat under the prescription of Pettis 

 was used because too dense a stand is not desired where the seed- 

 lings are to remain two years in the seedling bed and then be 

 planted out. .About 40% of the white pine seed germinated. 

 The red pine germination was exceptional, too good for the pro- 

 duction of the best seedlings. 



These are the practical results. In 191 1, 816,000 seedlings 

 were taken from two-thirds of the nursery area. This was by 

 far the largest shipment ever made from the nursery, the aver- 

 age being between three and four hundred thousand. The yield 

 from the third treated as above will be about 500.000 white pine 

 and 200,000 other species, mostly red pine, or a yield nearly as 

 largs as that previously secured on an area twice the size. The one 

 year old beds of the present season will have about the same 

 yield if they come through the winter in good shape. 



But most significant is the condition of the seedlings'. They 

 are of an intense green color, stocky, well needled, and with good 

 root and bud development. The contrast with the seedlings of 

 three seasons back is striking. The one year old seedlings are 

 also well above the average. 



This season, 1913, extensive fertilizer experiments were carried 

 on in both the Mont Alto and Greenwood Nurseries under the 

 direction of the Department of Forestry. Forty-nine different 

 combinations were used on as many beds, twenty-five by four 

 feet, in each nursery. The results at the end of the first season 

 are not conclusive as regards some of the combinations, but sorre 

 of the beds have been very instructive. Acid Phosphate is the 

 only fertilizer unquestionably beneficial at this time. Sodium 

 Nitrate as a top dressing has been an absolute failure in every 

 bed tried, causing considerable loss. The minimum amount 

 used was five pounds to 100 square feet, giving .75 pound ^^ 

 actual N. 



Another experiment of value was carried out by Forester T. O. 

 Bietsch in the Mont Alto Nursery. On heavy clay soil, where 

 uniform failure had met the attempt to rai.se conifers, charcoal 



