94 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the Nuremberger Reichswald, as well as of an additional 3953 acres 

 in neighbouring forests in the middle Franken pine territory. 

 At the present time (1909) the re-afforestation is practically 

 ended. These operations have been carried through on an area 

 of about 27,000 acres, and have involved an expenditure of 

 about ;^io8,ooo, so that the cost per acre has been ;^4. 



As regards the method of re-afforestation, the cleared areas 

 were partly sown and partly planted in the proportion of thirty 

 to seventy. Sowing could not be carried out over extensive 

 areas, since it was only possible to sow during the year following 

 the cutting. After that the ground became too strongly covered 

 with herbaceous and other growth for the seed to find a suitable 

 bed for germination. The method of broadcast sowing was 

 practised on small areas after the soil had been broken up. 

 On the other hand, natural seeding was more extensively tried. 

 The soil was prepared in strips. The covering was first removed, 

 and then the soil was broken up with special iron instruments or 

 the mattock. The natural seeding was not, however, so successful 

 as was expected. Hence planting played the most important part 

 in the re-afiforestation. 



The method applied on the largest scale was the planting 

 of i-year-old pines m strips 12 to 16 inches broad in which the 

 soil had been previously prepared. The distance between the 

 strips was 2 ft. 3 ins. to 3 ft. 3 ins., so that 25 per cent, to 30 per 

 cent, of the area was worked to a depth of 10 to 14 inches. 

 The plants in the strips were in rows 20 inches apart, with double 

 rows here and there. They were planted with the triangular 

 planting-iron or with the wooden dibble. The number of plants 

 per acre was as a rule 9000, but varied between 5500 and 10,000. 



By this method by far the greatest portion of the devastated 

 area was replanted. It was practised with success on the Hght 

 sandy-soils as well as on the loamy-sand soils, and even on peaty 

 ground when it was possible to bring the mineral soil to the 

 surface by artificial working. Part of the material used for 

 planting was raised in the State Forest Nursery, the rest was 

 obtained from commercial nurseries at a distance. The supply 

 of plants from local forest nurseries was rendered very precarious 

 by the pine leaf-cast fungus. The latter method, therefore, of 

 bringing plants from a distance was cheaper and also better. 

 In addition to i-year pine seedlings, 2-year-old plants were 

 used. Two-year i-year plants gave very satisfactory results. 



