REFORESTATION 

 NURSERY AND PLANTING RESEARCH 



Planting Depths and Methods Experiments 



In July 195^, Research Report #26, entitled "Planting Depths and Methods 

 Izperlments** was published. This summarized the series of experiments planted 

 farom 19^8 to 1952 to study the effect of planting trees at various depths and by 

 •everal common methods of hand planting, namely t cone, wedge, slit, and **T''« The 

 species studied were white pine, red pine, and white spruce* 



Nursery Stock Packaging Experiment 



Research Report #27, also published in July 195**-, was entitled "Narsery 

 ■^tock Packaging Experiment"* This is a report of an experiment designed to study 

 burlap bales as an alternative to wooden crates as a method of packaging nursery 

 stock* The experiment showed that there was a real difference in mortality 

 between bales and crates but that the difference was subject to considerable 

 variation and was not excessive* As a result of this work, the nurseries of the 

 Department are packaging a much larger proportion of their stock in bales* 



Nursery Stock Inventory 



A progress report, "Nursery Stock Inventory", was prepared in January 

 L95^* This was sent to each of the nurseries* Inventories taken in the s\immer 

 md fall of 195^ by the nursery stciffs were taken largely in accordance with our 

 recommendations presented in the progress reports 



Culling and Grading Experiment 



In the fall of 195^, the second planting of white spruce stock, both 

 ihippable and cull, from Orono, Mldhurst, and St* Williams nurseries was estab- 

 ^shed at the three planting sites* Each tree was again tagged and photographed 

 t in the previous year* It is planned to continue with this species for a third 

 •ar* In the fall of 195^ a mortality count of the 1953 planting was made* 

 •cause of the mass of detail required, six measurements for each of lO^SOO 

 rees each year, it has been necessary to use IBM card punch and comptometry 

 ystems to compile the data for study* 



