CULTIVATION OF SOILS. 41 



together in the soil, the more fertile it will be. Nature 

 has distributed these three minerals pretty equally all 

 over the earth. But on many places they are not mixed 

 together and, therefore, we have to apply deep culture in 

 order to produce in the seed-beds the mixture wanted 

 for a successful growth of forest trees. The only ex- 

 ceptions are the places where high winds have gath- 

 ered and piled up the loose sands. These never must 

 be touched by any means of culture, except by those 

 which will be explained further below, and which con- 

 fine themselves to means which never disturb the 

 soil. The same is true in all cases where a layer of 

 quick-sand is underlying a thinny surface clay soil. 

 Here the cultivation should be confined to a slight stir- 

 ring up of the fertile soil, leaving the infertile subsoil 

 entirely untouched, otherwise the latter would be 

 brought to the top and completely bury the fertile soil. 



On tracts where the full deep cultivation of the soil 

 is advisable and practical, certainly it is the better plan 

 to undertake the operation to its widest extent. But as 

 there exists on heaths great danger from shifting sands, 

 and on mountainous declivities from washing away the 

 soil by rain storms and snow drifts, it is often expedient 

 to undertake those improvements in instalments, sub- 

 jecting only parts of the whole tract to the appropriate 

 treatment. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

 CULTIVATION OF SOILS. 



The implements for cultivating the soil with regard to 

 forest planting are the plow, spade and hoe. Manual labor 

 has great advantages on account of its thoroughness ; but 

 the high price for labor forces us to mostly use plows, ex- 

 cept in places where the condition of the soil (boggy, 



