Production of Planting Stoc\ 



native capacity while in storage ; conse- 

 quently, tests must precede the 

 sowing of any seed lot regardless of 

 previous tests. Low germination results 

 in shortage of stock and irregular 

 waste of valuable seed. Moreover, the 

 resulting stock usually has an unfavor- 

 able top-root ratio. 



PROTECTION of seedlings from dis- 

 ease, insects, birds, rodents, ants, and 

 weather begins before the seed is sown 

 and goes on until the stock is shipped. 



Where damping-off is common, the 

 soil must be treated before sowing. 

 Sulfuric acid, aluminum sulfate, for- 

 maldehyde, or ferrous sulfate are used 

 in various concentrations, depending 

 on the acidity of the soil, buffer action, 

 and the severity of the disease. Some 

 soils require one-fourth ounce or less 

 of aluminum sulfate, while others re- 

 quire 1/2 ounces to the square foot. 

 Sulfuric acid is applied in a 1- to 2- 

 percent solution at the rate of 6 gallons 

 to 100 square feet. Formaldehyde is 

 applied at the rate of one-fourth ounce 

 to the square foot where the acidity of 

 the soil should not be changed. 



Protection from birds sometimes is 

 necessary, particularly during the ger- 

 mination period. Some nurseries are 

 located on flyways where the number 

 of birds is much greater than in other 

 nurseries. Repellents are used to some 

 extent but usually are ineffective. 

 Where the seedbed area is small, wire 

 screen over the beds is cheaper. Ants, 

 moles, crayfish, and field mice are a 

 source of trouble in certain localities. 

 Poison bait and carbon disulfide or 

 other fumigants are used for them. 



TRANSPLANTING is necessary for cer- 

 tain species. It is done to improve the 

 quality of the stock, making it better 

 fitted to survive on adverse sites. Root 

 systems of the transplants develop a 

 greater amount of small fibrous roots, 

 and height growth is retarded; conse- 

 quently, a better top-root ratio is se- 

 cured. Transplanting is done in the fall 

 or spring. Spring is preferable because 

 of the danger of losses in winter. 



Transplant beds are 4 to 6 feet wide 

 with rows across or lengthwise. Where 

 the trenches are made with a tractor- 

 drawn trencher, the rows run length- 

 wise; when opened by hand, they us- 

 ually run crosswise. Two-year-old 

 transplants usually are spaced 2 inches 

 apart; younger trees may need only 

 1/3 inches. The distance between the 

 rows is from 6 to 8 inches, to permit 

 multiple row cultivation. 



The use of transplant boards enables 

 the planting at one time of a large 

 number of seedlings. The boards are 

 filled with seedlings in small portable 

 shelters, then they are carried to the 

 bed, the trees planted, and the board 

 returned to the shelter for refilling. 

 Throughout the entire operation, the 

 roots must be kept moist. 



A machine patterned after a celery 

 transplanter is frequently used to trans- 

 plant mechanically. When a mechan- 

 ical transplanter is used, individual 

 seedlings are inserted into the machine 

 by an operator riding a self-propelled 

 or tractor-drawn unit, or multiple 

 units. The machine opens and closes 

 the trench for the seedling. The rows 

 are lengthwise of the bed. 



Transplanting broadleaf species usu- 

 ally is confined to small trees that are 

 intermingled with larger trees. They 

 are used as liners, or transplant stock, 

 when this method is cheaper than to 

 discard them and grow the same num- 

 ber from seed. 



CULTURAL OPERATION s, among them 

 weeding, watering, and the protection 

 from insects, disease, and other dam- 

 age, require a crew of men during most 

 of the growing season. The labor peak 

 is reached when growth is the fastest, 

 because of the weeding job. Summer 

 rains interfere with virtually all of the 

 work and, in prolonged rainy seasons, 

 additional manpower is needed to do 

 the various jobs in season. It is good 

 practice to keep the soiling crops and 

 areas around the nursery free of weeds 

 to prevent maturing of weed seed. 



The conifer seedbeds are weeded by 

 hand until all the seedlings are large 



