13 2 Forestry Quarterly. 



the spring of 1907. In practically every instance they failed, not 

 because of natural conditions, but because it was an attempt to do 

 work which is naturally intensive in character through extensive 

 methods and by inexperienced men. All but two of these were 

 given up in the spring of 1908, and the better policy of centraliz- 

 ing nursery work in the planting stations was adopted. At these 

 stations, work is now being conducted on such a large scale and 

 has been so systematized and intensified that it may be con- 

 sidered as being on a sound practical basis. In the matter of 

 forest planting, the stations are our basis of operation, our 

 vantage points and our nursery experiment stations alike. Per- 

 haps "Nursery Stations'' or rather ''Nurseries" would express the 

 real significance of the stations better than "Planting Stations" 

 for at them the central idea is to grow nursery stock not only 

 for planting on the Forests on which they are situated ; but 

 largely for planting on other Forests in the District under the 

 supervision of men who are not directly associated with the sta- 

 tions even though they may have been transferred there pre- 

 viously to gain necessary experience. 



On account of the large and increasing annual production of 

 seedlings at the planting stations, and the fact that plants have to 

 be held 3 to 4 years before they are large enough for field plant- 

 ing; it will not be possible to transplant all the seedlings at the 

 planting stations for lack of transplant ground. To relieve the 

 congestion, plans are being made to establish "transplant nur- 

 series" with an initial capacity of 500,000 plants on several of the 

 other important Forests. The plants for these are to be supplied 

 from the central planting station and are to be transplanted and 

 cared for by an experienced Forest ranger. 



A study of past nursery practice shows that wherever partial 

 stands only were secured, this was due to one or several of the 

 following causes: "damping off," birds, and rodents, covering 

 the seed too deeply, and sowing too small quantities. "Damping 

 off" rarely occurs. It can usually be checked by refraining from 

 sprinkling the beds and by airing and cultivating them. Birds 

 and rodents can be controlled by methods already in vogue. 

 Considerable care must be exercised in sowing the seed, for it is 

 mostly covered too deeply unintentionally. The most important 

 factor, however, and the one that can be most easily controlled, 

 is the quantity of seed sown. Too much emphasis can not be 



