NEEDLE-CAST. 91 



wherever, owing to circumstances, natural regeneration is 

 impracticable, narrow strip-fellings should be effected, in 

 order to afford the young plants lateral shelter against 

 the sun. 



ii. Avoid sowings, and especially broadcast sowings, in 

 artificial reproduction of Scots pine. When transplants are 

 scarce it is preferable to sow early in the year, in drills 10 to 

 12 inches apart. Densely growing seedlings should be thinned, 

 and a mixture of spruce with Scots pine-seeds acts favourably, 

 the spruce protecting the pines. 



iii. Yearling pines are best planted out with balls of earth, 

 by means of Heyer's circular spade, so that all injuries to the 

 roots are avoided. 



iv. Sowings of Scots pine should be abandoned in narrow 

 deep valleys and in depressions. 



v. As regards forest-nurseries, the following rules hold 

 good : 



(a) The nursery should be in an exposed situation and not 

 too small in area. It should, if possible, be higher than the 

 surrounding land, never in a depression, or nearer than 50 

 yards to a wood to the west. 



A wood to the west of the nursery reflects the rays of the 

 sun on to it, which, heating the soil, cause early germination 

 and shooting of the plants. This also favours stagnation of 

 the air and late frost. 



(b) Beds of seedlings should be covered with dead leaves or 

 moss, leaving only the tops of the plants free. 



(c) The beds may be protected by coverings, which should 

 not be too dense. They should be placed at about a yard 

 from the ground, towards the end of September, and before 

 the first early frosts, and may be removed as soon as late frosts 

 in spring are no longer to be feared. Throughout the winter, 

 the coverings may be partially removed during bright days, 

 but should be replaced before sunset. If the coverings are 

 placed lower down, the plants suffer from insufficient aeration, 

 but coverings such as are here described have proved very 

 efficacious in different parts of North Germany. 



(d) Seedlings may be sprinkled with fine dry soil at the 

 beginning of September, so that only the needles remain 



Y Y 2 



