12 



so encouraging that broadcast sowing will be undertaken on a 

 large scale as soon as we can gather a supply of seed from 

 our native spruce for that purpose. The experiment at Aiden 

 Lair indicates that the numerous areas of poplar forest which 

 now cover many of the old burns can be successfully under- 

 planted with red spruce. 



SARANAC NURSERY. 



The work on the construction of a nursery at Saranac Inn 

 B. E. Station, Franklin county, which was suspended in 1903 

 through lack of an appropriation that year for reforesting, was 

 resumed last spring. Seed beds for various coniferous species 

 were then made and the seed put in. In order to gain time one- 

 half of the nursery area was set out with two-year old seedlings 

 of white pine, Scotch pine, and Norway spruce, planted in beds 

 four feet wide and fifty feet long. For this purpose 125,000 

 seedlings were purchased from commercial nurseries in Illinois, 

 at prices varying from $2.50 to $5.50 per thousand plants. The 

 white pine seedlings cost, on an average, $4.62%; the Scotch 

 pine, $3.00, and the Norway spruce $2.50 per thousand. 



As the present intention is to use the Saranac nursery for a 

 supply of four-year old transplants, these seedlings will have to 

 remain in the beds two years, and will not be available for field 

 planting until the spring of 1906. 



In order to have, in time, a supply of four-year old transplants 

 each year, one-half of the nursery area was allowed to lie fallow, 

 with the intention of filling it with two-year old seedlings this 

 coming spring. After ,that the seed beds will enable us to dis- 

 pense with further purchases of stock for the nursery. The por- 

 tion which lay fallow was planted with a crop of buckwheat, 

 which was plowed under in the fall, and the soil was further 



