Forest Planting in National forests. 131 



perimentation. However, until it furnishes absolute knowledge, 

 it is always necessary to be on the safe side, and thus to make re- 

 forestation the more important issue. 



Of the hundreds of species native to the United States time 

 has not granted an opportunity to study a forest plantation of any 

 one species from seed to maturity. Hence we have no knowledge 

 from actual practice of their relative value. However, since only 

 species of high commercial value should be artificially propagated 

 whatever the purpose for doing so may be, economic considera- 

 tions eliminate the great majority of them. We must rely upon 

 a few of the best, most widely distributed and most generally use- 

 ful native species like Douglas Fir and Yellow Pine. All big 

 projects should contemplate the use of one or both. We desire 

 to know what Scotch Pine, Norway Spruce and numerous other 

 exotic as well as native species will do and we have been growing 

 a large number of species at the Planting Stations on a small 

 scale to be used in permanent sample plantations where their 

 behavior can be noted and compared. The superiority of some 

 of the exotics may in time be demonstrated in this way. 



Since all work which involves a large expenditure should be 

 carefully planned, an extensive reconnaissance study was con- 

 ducted on the Wasatch National Forest during the summer of 

 1905. This resulted in a plan which gave the location, area, and 

 character of the planting sites, nursery possibilities, species, rate 

 of growth, etc. Upon it, as a basis, the Wasatch Planting Sta- 

 tion was established in the fall of 1905 and the spring of 1906. 

 This, therefore, is the oldest forest nursery in the District. At 

 the same time it is the largest, having an annual seedling capacity 

 at present of 4,000,000 plants. At first this station was intended 

 primarily to grow plants for reforesting the denuded watersheds 

 of the Wasatch National Forest. One year later, 1906- 1907, the 

 Pocatello Planting Station was established on the Pocatello Na- 

 tional Forest, for the purpose of afforesting the treeless slopes of 

 that Forest. Its present capacity is 1,000,000 plants annually. 

 The reconnaissance work has since been extended to other 

 Forests. However, these two are the only planting stations in 

 the District. 



In order to grow additional plants and to give the Forest 

 rangers experience in nursery and planting work, a number of 

 ranger nurseries were established on some of the other Forests in 



