SYLVICULTURE 



45 



Transplanting 



Plants are not usually taken directly from the seed-bed to 

 the forest, but are transplanted once or several 

 times in order to produce sturdy plants with 

 well-developed root systems. As a rule, trans- 

 planting is first carried out either one year or 

 two years after the germination of the seed, 

 and it is repeated when the small crowns and 

 roots are beginning to meet in the lines very 

 often after two years. In consequence of the 

 shock unavoidably sustained during the trans- 

 planting, young plants take most of the first 

 year to heal their injuries, and only in the 

 second season make real progress in growth. 

 Hence, with very few exceptions, plants should 

 remain at least two years in the nursery 

 lines. 



In lifting seedlings the plants should be 

 handled with very great care ; in this operation 

 the benefit is felt of having them in rows in- 

 stead of broadcast. The spade, fork or grape 

 should be inserted vertically and deeply enough, 

 a few inches to one side of the plants. The 

 spadeful of earth and plants is raised and allowed 

 to fall again, so that the clod may be broken. 

 Any system of pulling up the plants from im- 

 perfectly loosened soil is much to be deprecated. 

 After freeing the roots from the earth the 

 plants are collected, and small bunches of 

 them are placed temporarily in the soil for 

 protection against drying. Nothing is more 

 important than attention to young plants to 

 make certain that their rootlets be kept con- 

 stantly moist. Exposure of conifers to sun 

 and drying wind kills or seriously injures them in an in- 

 credibly short space of time. 



FIG. 5 



