OUR NATIONAL FORESTS 87 



the same locality where it is to be planted. In 

 many instances, cones are purchased from set- 

 tlers who make a business of gathering them. 

 The Federal foresters dry these cones in the sun 

 and thresh out the seed, which they then fan and 

 clean. If it is desired to store supplies of tree 

 seed from year to year it is kept in sacks or jars, 

 in a cool, dry place, protected from rats and mice. 

 Where seed is sown directly on the ground, poison 

 bait must be scattered over the area in order to 

 destroy the gophers, mice and chipmunks which 

 otherwise would eat the seed. Sowing seed 

 broadcast on unprepared land has usually failed 

 unless the soil and weather conditions were just 

 right. For the most part, setting out nursery 

 seedlings has given better results than direct 

 seeding. Two men can set out between five hun- 

 dred and one thousand trees a day. 



The National Forests contain about one mil- 

 lion acres of denuded forest lands. Much of 

 this was cut-over and so severely burned before 

 the creation of the forests that it bears no tree 

 growth. Some of these lands will reseed them- 

 selves naturally while other areas have to be 

 seeded or planted by hand. In this way the 

 lands that will produce profitable trees are fitted 



