o2 REPORT OF THE No. 4 



III.— REFORESTATION 

 1. NURSERIES 



The period covered by this report is an off season at the nurseries. By 

 the end of October, the seed beds, which are a major project, have been pretty 

 well completed and by the end of March the work in the nursery proper has 

 not recommenced owing to the condition of the ground. Under ordinary 

 circumstances, the number of men employed during this six months' period 

 is greatly reduced and the time is spent largely in woodland and plantation 

 improvement, the repairing of equipment and buildings, making of crates 

 and in many other ways preparing for the next season's work. 



(a) Seed Beds 



The seed bed work which usually extends into November was completed 

 and the beds were covered and put in proper shape for the winter. Some 

 hardwoods such as walnut and maple which reached the nursery late in the 

 season pitted or stratified as required and late in March the customary supply 

 of willow and poplar cuttings were made. 



(b) Improvements 



At Midhurst, 200 trees were moved in the frozen ball for permanent 

 windbreak work. On all three nurseries, roads where necessary were repaired 

 and resurfaced with gravel. 



At Orono, certain of the Scotch Pine windbreaks on the boundaries were 

 pruned of their lower branches and in some cases where they no longer served 

 their original purpose were removed. 



(c) Protection 



Very little protection work is necessary in the winter in the forest areas 

 but in the two most northerly nurseries, namely, Orono and Midhurst, snow 

 fences were erected to protect the seed bed areas. 



(d) Woodlot Improvement 



At St. Williams and Midhurst where large areas of woodland are included 

 in the property, a large proportion of the men employed during the winter 

 are engaged in improvement work. As there is practically no woodland con- 

 nected with the Orono nursery, this in part explains the small staff which was 

 carried at this nursery throughout the winter. Improvements in these areas, 

 which includes also the larger plantations covers such work as thinning, prun- 

 ing out lower branches, and swamping out the wood, logs and poles. The 

 yield from this type of work at St. Williams was 1200 cords of wood. At 

 Midhurst, 200 cords of wood were taken out and 4000 ft. of lumber as well 

 as fence and telephone pole material. 



