How to Care for Your Small Forest 



225 



covered with about one-eighth inch of 

 soil. The cleared patches for seeding 

 can be 4 to 6 inches in size. If there 

 is danger of erosion, a light mulch can 

 be placed over the seeded spots, in 

 which case the seeds do not need to 

 be covered with soil. Seeds of pine 

 should be sown in the fall for best 

 results. 



IN PLANTING THE SEEDLINGS, these 



points may be helpful: 



1. Seedlings planted in the fall be- 

 fore frost usually get a good start. If 

 there is danger of frost-heaving, the 

 seedlings may be planted in the spring 

 just after the frost is out of the ground. 



2. Seedlings should not be planted 

 if they are still growing, that is, late 

 in the spring or in summer. 



3. Some State nurseries send out 

 trees for planting that have been kept 

 dormant in cold storage. If this prac- 

 tice has proved successful in your 

 locality, you can plant seedlings at 

 times when other work is not pressing. 



4. Seedlings are planted, as a rule, 

 with the spacing of 6 by 6 feet or 8 by 

 8 feet. Some seedlings that tolerate 

 shade do best if planted close together. 

 Others require more room. Approxi- 

 mately 1,000 trees to the acre is a satis- 

 factory stocking once the plantation has 

 become established. 



5. Trees that grow rapidly can be 

 spaced more widely than slow-growing 

 species. If the soil is poor, more trees 

 can be planted to allow for loss. 



6. Sometimes the tree seedlings are 

 planted in furrows to conserve moisture 

 and prevent erosion. 



The number of trees to the acre for 

 specific spacings is: 5 by 5 feet, 1,742 

 trees; 6 by 6 feet, 1,210 trees; 6 by 

 8 feet, 908 trees; 8 by 8 feet, 680 trees. 



Often it is desirable to plant several 

 species in the same plantation to in- 

 sure against damage by insects or 

 disease, against failure of one species 

 on the particular soil, and against the 

 possibility that one species will grow 

 into a crop of no value. Trees that 

 stand much shade can be grown with 

 those that require much sunlight. 



802062' 



It is not advisable to plant any fast- 

 growing seedlings in a mixture that 

 grows slowly. 



Seedlings for planting on the farm 

 and in the small forest can be obtained 

 from the State forest-tree nurseries, 

 which sell tree seedlings at cost or less ; 

 county agents and local foresters have 

 the order blanks. Orders for the seed- 

 lings should be placed early. 



Ordinarily it is not wise to plant 

 tree seedlings that have been obtained 

 from great distances. 



Many seedlings die because they are 

 improperly handled after they have 

 been received from the nursery. 



If the time, labor, and money in- 

 vested in planting seedlings are not to 

 be lost: 



1. Keep the tree seedlings moist, 

 particularly the roots. 



2. Keep in the shade until planted. 



3. A cool, well- ventilated place for 

 storage is important. 



4. Place the roots of the seedlings in 

 moist soil or sand if planting is delayed 

 for several days. 



Of the several methods of planting, 

 the one most suitable for the particular 

 soil or area involved should be deter- 

 mined before the seedlings are taken 

 from the heel-in bed or from their 

 place of storage. 



Slit planting means placing the 

 seedling in the soil in a slit that has 

 been made by a grub hoe, mattock, or 

 spade. Planting bars, a special tool for 

 making the slits, work well in light or 

 medium soils where there is little debris 

 or other trash on the land. 



On rocky or trashy land, a hole can 

 be dug and the tree seedling planted 

 J4 to 1/2 inch deeper than it grew in 

 the nursery. Usually there is a mark 

 on the stem that shows how deep it 

 grew. The roots should be carefully 

 placed so that they are not bent or 

 crowded. If the hole is shallow and 

 the seedling roots are doubled back or 

 restricted in any way, the seedling 

 might die. The soil should be firmly 

 packed around the roots of the seed- 

 ling not too tightly but enough to 

 remove the air pockets. 



