Chestnut 

 The aim Is the production of hardy dwarfs, resistant to blight and suit- 

 able as dwarfing stock in a breeding program with timber- type chestnuts. Seeds of 

 Chinese chestnut, from Beltsville, Maryland produced plants of good growth and 

 hardiness. Chinkapin seeds from Virginia again did not germinate. Seeds of 

 European chestnut, obtained in Toronto, yielded seedlings that were not hardy. 



REFORESTATION RESEARCH 



This section of the Research Branch is active in the study of problems 

 related to nursery production and planting operations. Experiments are being 

 conducted in the nursery or planting areas on fertilizing of plantations and new 

 plantings, frost damage of newly planted trees, comparisons of sizes and age- 

 classes of planting stock, prevention of frost heaving in nurseries, adjusting soil 

 acidity in nurseries, and site preparations for planting. 



Forest Fertilization Studies 

 An experiment was established in 1960 to study methods and results of 

 applying regulated quantities of fertilizers (as indicated by soil and foliar 

 analyses) to an area at the time of planting. The area chosen was one in which 

 failure of normal planting techniques had occurred. Other fertilization studies 

 are being continued in which fertilizers have been applied to established planta- 

 tions (30 feet in height, or more) where the possibility of growth stimulation has 

 been considered. While some aspects of the work in this field already show promise 

 advance will be slow because of new problems encountered in measuring, recording 

 and processing the results. 



Frost Damage After Planting 

 A study is being conducted to correlate the extent of the frost damage 

 sustained by spring- plan ted white spruce to the physiological condition of the 



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