k. USING CONIFEROUS TREES. 



81 



The most common cause of failure with those who try to 

 raise evergreens is what is known as "damping off," which 

 occurs only while the plants are growing rapidly the first year. 

 In such a case the seeds start well, and the seedlings grow vig- 

 orously for a short time, or until we have a spell of damp 

 weather, and then die off with great rapidity. It seems that the 

 sunlight and the mud that has been spattered on the plants so 

 weaken them that they are liable to disease. For this reason 

 we shade the bed, and cover with sand, which will not allow the 

 mud to be spattered over the seedlings, and in very moist warm 

 weather we occasionally apply dry sand to dry off the plants. 



Figure 10. Evergreen seed bed shaded with a screen of old brush 

 olaced on a frame. 



For most kinds of conifers the shade is required for at least two 

 years. 



Coniferous tree seedlings grow very slowly when young, sel- 

 'dom making a growth of more than two or three inches the first 

 year. The most rapid growing of our pines seldom produce a 

 growth of more than sixteen inches in four years, and should 

 not be moved to their permanent place until about this time. 

 They should, however, be transplanted from the seed bed to a 

 temporary place when two years old, to prevent crowding and 

 to facilitate root growth. 



On the approach of winter the beds of coniferous seedlings 

 should be covered with about three inches of straw or leaves, 

 evergreen branches, or other material that will afford protec- 

 tion from the sun and from alternate freezing and thawing. 



6 



