Production of Planting 



several years on exceptionally good 

 land, but the application of fertilizers 

 becomes necessary sooner or later. 



The use of soiling crops, in rotation 

 with tree crops and supplemented by 

 heavy applications of compost, is a 

 good way to maintain an acceptable 

 level of fertility and soil structure. 

 The application of the plant nutrients 

 that are deficient in the soil without 

 regard to the physical condition of the 

 soil will seldom suffice. 



Much can be done to maintain good 

 physical condition in both heavy and 

 light soils by adding organic matter. 

 Many kinds of rotted vegetable matter 

 can be used: Rice, oat, and wheat 

 straw; hardwood sawdust, which needs 

 extra nitrogen for decomposition ; pine 

 needles and leaves, which are used in 

 limited amounts; and other like ma- 

 terials. Nurseries located near peat 

 bogs make extensive use of peat as a 

 source of humus. About 3 percent of 

 organic matter in the top 6 inches of 

 soil is desirable. Compost is commonly 

 applied at the rate of 2 to 5 tons an 

 acre every 2 or 3 years. From 200 to 

 600 pounds an acre of chemical fer- 

 tilizer is applied. 



The principal supplements needed 

 in nurseries are nitrogen, phosphorous, 

 and potash. Occasionally lime, and, 

 rarely, minor (or trace) elements are 

 added. The three major elements must 

 be available in sufficient amounts to 

 supply the heavy demands made by the 

 tree crops it has been calculated that 

 a crop of 2-year-old untransplanted 

 white pine (at a density of 100 to the 

 square foot) removed 94.6 pounds of ni- 

 trogen, 31.8 pounds of phosphoric acid, 

 and 41.6 pounds of potash an acre. 

 Nurserymen make repeated soil analy- 

 ses to determine the amounts of chemi- 

 cal fertilizers and compost to add. 



Fertilizers of animal and vegetable 

 origin are preferred but are sometimes 

 impossible to get in the quantities 

 needed, and the fertilizers of mineral 

 origin must be used. Experiments show 

 that better results are had when the 

 mineral fertilizers are added through 

 soiling crops and fortified composts, 



rather than when they are applied 

 directly in liquid or solid form to the 

 tree crops. On the lighter soils it fre- 

 quently is necessary to apply fertilizers 

 as a side dressing to correct chlorosis 

 and to keep the crops healthy. The 

 most desirable amount of fertilizer can 

 best be determined by local experimen- 

 tation. The quantity depends not only 

 on the kind of soil but also on the spe- 

 cies of trees being produced. The con- 

 dition and quality of the trees indicates 

 whether or not adequate fertilizer is 

 being applied. 



As FOR SEED AND SOWING i Where 

 trees and shrubs native to the region 

 are being used, the use of seed from the 

 nearest possible source will best guar- 

 antee the hardiness and vigor that are 

 required in the field plantings. If one 

 cannot get seed nearby, he should ob- 

 tain it from localities of similar climate 

 and altitude. The use of northern seed 

 in the South is likely to produce trees 

 of slow growth and poor development, 

 which may eventually succumb to 

 drought and heat. Southern seed used 

 too far north may produce trees that 

 lack the hardiness to withstand the 

 northern winters. It is safest to use seed 

 from native trees that are adapted to 

 the climate of the region and from well- 

 formed, vigorous specimens. 



The quality of the seed collected de- 

 pends largely on the collector's good 

 judgment. Immature seed definitely 

 has poor keeping quality and lower ger- 

 mination capacity than well-ripened 

 seed. The color of the seed coat usually 

 can be considered a reliable indicator 

 of seed maturity. Simple cutting tests 

 will give a rough estimate of the poten- 

 tial germinating capacity of the seed 

 in question. This is a common-sense 

 economy measure to prevent collection 

 of the immature, weeviled, hollow, or 

 otherwise defective seed. 



Sowing the tree seed, an exacting 

 operation, must be controlled carefully 

 to obtain the maximum germination 

 and the desired density. The seed of 

 some species must be sown in the fall, 

 others in the early spring, and some as 



