THE THIRTY-SECOND ANNUAL EXCURSION, AUGUST 1909. 85 



by 3^ feet. The cost was about the same in each case, but the 

 advantage of planting over sowing was very striking. 



5. A culture enclosed by wire-netting completely protected 

 against all kinds of game. The deep soil (4ft. 3 ins. to subsoil) is 

 also here used in the formation of group mixtures in spruce 

 matrix. The under-mentioned species occupy the following 

 percentages of the area — spruce 71, beech 11, larch 8, Douglas 

 fir 5, Finns strobus 24, ash 07, oak 0*3 per cent. 



6, Enclosure for the raising of spruce ball-plants and nursery 

 plants. A large part of the area is utilised agriculturally, and also 

 for the raising of spruce. (This is an example of Forestry 

 combined with Agriculture.) The spruce roots are grubbed out 

 in the first spring, and the ground is sown with a crop of oats 

 which is harvested in summer. This, after a light dressing of 

 manure, is followed in the second spring by a potato crop. After 

 the potatoes are lifted a dressing of lime is given, and in the 

 third spring some more artificial manure is applied, when 

 oat and spruce seed are sown. The ripe oats are cut fairly high, 

 and after a few years the spruce plants are lifted with the ball. 



By this method not only are the plants obtained free of cost 

 but a considerable net income is gained. The eastern part of 

 the garden is used for the production of seedlings and trans- 

 plants ; these were formerly utilised in the re-afforestation of the 

 devastated areas, but now they are sold to forest-owners or handed 

 over free of cost to other State forests. 



A demonstration was given of sowing with Essingler's sowing 

 lathe, transplanting with Haker's transplanting machine and rake, 

 the lifting of plants with Landenberger's apparatus, and the 

 weeding and the hoeing of plants. 



7. A 2r-year-old spruce thicket grown on a former forest field, 

 which was not sufficiently opened up and which is consequently 

 much too thick. The wood is deficient in height-growth, and a 

 thorough cleaning out is now necessary and will be commenced 

 by the cutting out of broad lanes. 



8. Forest House, Diana, occupied by a State forester. Here a 

 pause was made for lunch. 



9. To the east a strip of birch alternating with black alder which 

 was formed in 1899 is intended to act as a fire-screen, and in 

 later years it will be made a separation cutting. To the west is a 

 well-grown 1 7-year-old fore-growth of birch. Larch which was 

 planted at the same time has almost entirely disappeared. 



