THE FOREST NURSERY 273 



The Spitzenberg drill former 1 introduced from Europe does not 

 permit of as rapid work but is adapted for use on seedbeds curved 

 upward in the middle and for making the drills of variable depth 

 and form. The tool is fitted with a number of detachable rollers 

 for making drills of variable depth and spacing. It has a straight 

 handle like a hoe and is drawn back and forth across the bed, the 

 roller with its elevations forming the drills. A marker attached 

 to the roller forms a line in the soil parallel with the drills which 

 serves as a guide in spacing (Fig. 56). 



11. Distribution of the Seed in Drill Seeding. Various methods 

 are practiced for the even distribution of the seed in the drill. 

 Hand distribution of small seed does not permit of uniform seed- 

 ing except where great care is taken and much time spent in the 

 sowing. Hand distribution has the advantage, however, in that it 

 is equally efficacious with large, small or winged seed and whether 

 wet or dry. Small, light seed cannot be sown in drills by hand 

 on windy days without scattering it between the drills. 



12. The Seeding Trough. The simplest device for the even 

 distribution of coniferous seed is the seeding trough. Various types 

 are advocated by different foresters. They are all alike in prin- 

 ciple and consist of V-shaped troughs of the same length as the 

 width of the bed. A cup holding the quantity of seed desired for 

 a single drill is used to bring the seed into the trough where it is 

 evenly distributed by hand. When the seed is scattered along 

 the side of the trough it rattles into position at the bottom and is 

 more evenly distributed than when it is placed directly in the 

 bottom. When the trough is opened at the bottom all the seeds 

 fall into the drill at one time (Fig. 57). 



Although various forms of this device are in use, that described 

 by Heyer 2 is one of the simplest and best. Four boards 4 inches 

 by j inch and of the same length as the width of the bed are firmly 

 nailed together to form two V-shaped troughs in which the sides 

 have a divergence of approximately 60. When these two troughs 

 are brought together with one side of each in a single plane, there 

 is a V-shaped space between for the reception of the seed. The 

 two troughs are fastened together with two pieces of strap iron 



1 Spitzenberg, G. K.: Die Spitzenberg'schen Kulturgerathe. 2. Aufl. 

 Berlin, 1898. 



2 Heyer, Carl: Der Waldbau oder die Forstproduktenzucht. 5. Aufl., 

 1. Bd., S. 276. Leipzig, 1906. 



