74 THE BOOK OF FORESTRY 



that the earth must be tightly packed around the little 

 tree. 



Six feet apart the trees are planted and ordinarily 

 a planting crew can cover from two-thirds to a little 

 over an acre a day, depending on the toughness of the 

 soil and its freedom from stones. 



If good planting stock has been used and if the ground 

 was firmly pressed around the roots eighty-five or ninety 

 per cent of the little trees should be alive at the end 

 of the first season. An excessively dry summer, or care- 

 less planting, may cause high mortality. 



Costs and Results. Forest planting is considered a 

 good investment and like every other phase of forestry 

 must pay its way financially. Land that can be tilled 

 should not be planted unless as a landscape improve- 

 ment. If cheap land is planted and the whole cost in- 

 cluding purchase of land and planting expenses seven 

 to ten dollars per acre does not exceed fifteen dollars 

 per acre, the investment should certainly yield four or 

 five per cent compound interest based on present stump- 

 age value. "With the increase in timber values that is 

 bound to occur as the result of our diminishing timber 

 supply even a higher rate- should be assured. The ele- 

 ment of time, however, is discouraging to many persons, 

 but the Federal Government, States, railroads, and other 

 corporations and logging companies with continuous 

 existence can plant and feel that a good long-time in- 

 vestment has been made. 



Even private individuals who from sentimental or 

 business reasons possess land, a part of which is unsuited 

 to agriculture will find enormous satisfaction in watch- 

 ing a young plantation develop, feeling all the while 

 that they have made an investment for their descend- 

 ants. The pleasure derived from watching things grow 



