THE FOREST NURSERY 261 



Schlich 1 states that for ordinary nursery purposes the following 

 application of fertilizer may be considered as suitable. Stable 

 manure, 80 to 100 cwts. per acre, or a mixture of the following: 

 basic slag (Thomas slag) 10 cwts.; sulphate of potash 5 cwts., or 

 kainit 20 cwts.; and sulphate of ammonia 1 to 2 cwts. 



The large commercial forest nurseries at Halstenbek, Germany, 

 rely almost entirely upon horse manure, street sweepings, raw 

 humus, weeds, and nursery litter for the maintenance of soil fer- 

 tility. 2 As a rule, these materials are composted in large compost 

 houses. The horse manure and raw humus or street sweepings 

 are arranged in alternate layers, the former in layers about 5 

 inches in thickness and the latter about one-half as thick. As 

 much as 100 cubic yards of composted material is often applied 

 to a single acre of coniferous seedbeds. Only from one-half to 

 one-quarter as much is used for most broadleaved species. Al- 

 though commercial fertilizers are rarely used, the growth of spruce 

 and occasionally other species is sometimes stimulated by apply- 

 ing Chilian saltpeter between the rows, at the rate of 200 to 250 

 pounds per acre. 



Scotch pine seedlings have been grown for 70 years in some 

 European nurseries without rotation with other crops. The beds 

 are formed in April or early May, the seed sown in drills, and the 

 stock removed a year later. The beds are immediately resown, 

 and the cropping repeated in the same manner year after year. 

 The soil is fertilized each year with a mixture of moor soil, ashes, 

 and nursery refuse, composted for at least one year. 



1 Schlich, Win.: Manual of forestry. 4th ed., vol. II, p. 204. London, 

 1910. 



2 Schwarz, Alexander: Der Waldpflanzenzucht-Betrieb in und um Hal- 

 stenbek (Schleswig-Holstein). (Forstw. Centralblatt, S. 472-502. 1903.) 



