120 FARM FORESTRY 



natural reproduction. The trees are too old to produce seeds 

 abundantly. Should a seed year come, and it might be several 

 years before seed would be produced, the seed might be in- 

 fertile or be eaten by squirrels. The only practical and sure 

 method is to gradually remove the old trees as they are needed 

 for cordwood or other purposes and to plant trees of desirable 

 species that have either been raised in the farm nursery or 

 transplanted from some other woodlot, Seedlings can also 

 be obtained from nurserymen. It is not necessary to plant 

 the whole woodlot in one year. An acre or less planted each 

 year will soon cover the woodlot with young trees. 



The planting of the seed of trees in the woodlot is one 

 of the best methods of keeping up the stock of trees. Seed 

 can be gathered in the fall of the year and either planted at 

 once by thrusting a stick in the ground and planting the seed 

 in the hole made or the seed can be stratified over winter 

 and planted in the spring. Many seeds can be gathered in 

 the spring of the year after the snow has disappeared, that 

 have been stratified naturally on the ground over winter. 

 Where squirrels are not numerous, acorns of the many species 

 of oak, walnuts, butternuts, hickory nuts, beech nuts and chest- 

 nuts can be gathered and planted in holes made in the ground. 

 Smaller seeds like maple, ash, yellow poplar and locust can be 

 gathered and planted in seedspots in the woodlot. Seed that has 

 been stratified naturally over winter will start to grow at once 

 as soon as the ground becomes warm. There is no more prac- 

 tical or effective way of starting trees growing in the woodlot. 



THE GROWING OF BASKET WILLOWS 



The growing of basket willows can be profitably carried 

 on by farmers who have land that is subject to inundation or 

 flooding by water. Such land is of little value for other pur- 

 poses. The basket willow industry has developed rapidly in 

 recent years and there has been a constant demand for willow 

 rods. 



