AMERICAN SYLVICULTURE 



Paragraph XXXII. Protection of nurseries. 



A. Against drought: Lath covers, cloth covers, branches, 

 cornstalks, top covering of slabs, laths, etc.; cultivating rows of 

 plants; watering which must be continued if once begun. 



B. Against frost: Same measures as in "A" inclusive of 

 watering; smoking fires; pressing seedlings lifted by frost back 

 into the bed; no weeding from September on. 



C. Against excessive rain (which washes the plants out, or 

 splashes them with mud-pants, or incrusts the surface) : Top 

 dressing of leaves, moss or Pine branches; "combing" mud-pants 

 off the seedlings; lath or brush covers. 



Paragraph XXXIII. Nursing in nurseries. 



A. Weeding: Weeding is facilitated in nurseries by a regular 

 arrangement of the plants and by narrow beds. Tools are: Knife, 

 fork, hoe or special weeding wheels. Weeding should be stopped 

 a month before frost occurs. The purpose of weeding is not only 

 the removal of competitors; it is also the aeration of the soil. 



Weeding can be dispensed with in dense, broadcast seed beds; 

 in thinly stocked beds planted broadcast it is most necessary and 

 most difficult. 



B. Cultivation; Cultivation in the transplanting beds of the 

 commercial nurseries is done by cultivators drawn by a horse. 

 Cultivation in forest nurseries proper purports to break the crust 

 forming under the influence of heavy rain. Usually the act of 

 weeding cultivates the soil as well. Cultivation is most easily 

 effected by drawing some strong nails driven into a stick along 

 each rill. This cultivation, at the same time, disturbs and scares 

 away mice, voles and insects. 



C. Carpeting the intervals between rills or rows. 

 Reversed moss, spent tan, sawdust, straw, hay, twigs (always 



of another species), poles (not fresh cut pine poles, which are incuba- 

 tors to snout beetles) are often laid between the rills or rows so as to 

 preserve the moisture, to prevent mud-pants from forming on the 

 stemlets and to check weeds. These carpets, however, harbor mice 

 and insects. Large leaves in the carpet threaten to smother young 

 seedlings if blown upon them. 



D. Trimming. The top shoot when killed by early frost or 

 drought might be cut off. In no other case must it be touched. 



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