22 4 



Yearbook, of Agriculture 1949 



Hardwoods usually require better 

 soils than conifers. Hardwoods need 

 plenty of water and if the soil is of a 

 type that absorbs water readily so the 

 tree roots can get it without difficulty, 

 a hardwood plantation is usually suc- 

 cessful. Hardwoods grow best in a deep, 

 loose, crumbly type of soil, where the 

 roots have plenty of room to develop 

 and where the subsoil is of the type 

 that permits good root development. 



Conifers often will grow in soils that 

 are unsuitable for the hardwoods and 

 where the available water is less than 

 that required by hardwood seedlings. 

 Generally they will grow even if not 

 cultivated after planting. The roots 

 are often shorter another reason for 

 better survival. For these reasons coni- 

 fers are often the best species for worn- 

 out, heavily gullied fields, abandoned 

 pastures that are to be converted to 

 woodland, the sandy areas, and areas 

 where the soil is heavy or has a tend- 

 ency to be cloddy or has a hardpan 

 underneath. 



Some general suggestions on the im- 

 portant species to plant if your land is 

 in the South: 



1. White pine at most elevations in 

 the mountains. 



2. Loblolly pine on most soils at 

 lower elevations. 



3. Shortleaf pine in the same areas 

 as loblolly pine, except on drier soils. 



4. Slash pine on the sandy loam soils 

 with plenty of moisture. Longleaf pine 

 grows best on dry, sandy soil, on sandy 

 ridges, and on sandy loam soils. 



5. Walnut on good soils and on rich 

 bottoms. Other hardwoods, such as the 

 locusts, that are planted for fence posts 

 grew best if planted on the better soils. 



6. Yellow-poplar on good soils. In 

 parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and 

 South Carolina, particularly the Pied- 

 mont area, Virginia pine is sometimes 

 planted on the poorest soils. Loblolly 

 pine, shortleaf pine, and redcedar are 

 also desirable species to plant on poor 

 to moderate soils. 



In the Southern Appalachian Moun- 

 tain region, these species can be planted : 

 1. Virginia pine, redcedar, short- 



leaf pine, and pitch pine on poor soils. 



2. White pine on moderate soils. 



3. White ash, yellow-poplar, and the 

 black locust on still better soils. 



4. Black walnut on the best land. 

 A number of different species should 



be considered if you live in the Central 

 States : 



1. Jack pine on the poorest soils. 

 Shortleaf and pitch pine can also be 

 planted on some of the worst loca- 

 tions. On medium soils, Norway spruce, 

 red pine, white pine, red oak, cotton- 

 wood, and white ash will grow. 



2. Black walnut and yellow-poplar 

 on the best land, and black locust on 

 land not quite so good. 



If you land is in the Lake States or 

 New England, the following species are 

 often planted : 



1. Jack pine or Scotch pine on the 

 worst land. 



2. White spruce, Norway spruce, 

 and white pine on fairly good soil. 



3. Yellow-poplar, white ash, red and 

 white oak are suitable for the best 

 soils. 



Seedlings generally are more satis- 

 factory than seed for starting a plan- 

 tation or in regenerating forest areas. 

 Birds and rodents often cause a direct 

 seeding of conifers to fail. Tree seeds 

 do not germinate in extremely dry 

 years. A few of the pines will grow from 

 seed if they are planted within their 

 natural ranges. Walnut, oak, hickory, 

 and other nut trees are often started 

 from seed. The nuts should be planted 

 in holes and covered firmly with soil to 

 a depth of about the width of the seed. 

 Walnuts, hickory nuts, and acorns can 

 be planted in the spring after the 

 ground has become soft enough to 

 work or after the frost has disappeared. 

 Generally, it is better to plant these 

 seeds in the fall, even though there is a 

 danger that hogs or rodents will dig 

 them up for food during the winter. 



In small plantings it is unwise to 

 broadcast tree seed. Instead, a number 

 of seeds can be planted in a small spot 

 that has been cleaned of grass or other 

 litter. Ten to fifteen seeds can be dis- 

 tributed over this small area and then 



