124 PRACTICAL FORESTRY 
In order to protect these beds against drought 
and frost, it is well to cover the surface with a very 
thin layer of litter. Great care must be exercised, 
however, in selecting material for this purpose, as 
short straw or hay usually contains the seeds of many 
weeds. Beds are often ruined in this way. Fine 
forest litter is not always free from weed seeds. In 
one case, beds which were covered with forest litter 
in the fall, were filled with maple seedlings in the 
spring. Sphagnum moss has been strongly recom- 
mended for this purpose. 
These beds must be kept free from weeds, and 
where the little plants are too thick, they should be 
thinned. At the end of the second year, in the north 
temperate zone, these conifers should be large 
enough to plant in the woods. 
When larger and stronger plants are needed, the 
seedlings should be transplanted into nursery rows, 
where they may have more room. Transplanting 
does not injure these plants. They are often trans- 
planted several times before final planting in the 
woods. The more they are transplanted in youth 
the better they stand it. The roots become bunched, 
and in many cases root-pruning may be practised if 
the roots are too long and spindling. 
Transplanting is costly, however, and on the 
whole it is better to plant the two-year-olds direct 
