400 THE HANDBOOK FOE PRACTICAL FARMERS 



When received if not planted inunediately, the roots should be 

 dipped in muddy water, placed in a shallow trench and covered 

 with soil. In planting it is better for men to work in pairs. One 

 man advances in a straight line, and digs the hole with the mat- 

 tock. The other follows and plants the young trees in the open- 

 ings. Two men should plant from one-half to one acre in a day. 



The usual spacing of the trees is six feet apart in the rows, 

 and the rows six feet apart. This gives 1,210 trees per acre. 

 By cutting down this spacing to four feet by four feet, you 

 double the nmnber of trees per acre, getting about 2,500. If you 

 have a good market for your product close by, and can go in 

 and thin out your stand in a few years, and sell your thinnings 

 at a profit then it is advisable to plant as closely as that. If you 

 cannot thin your plantation in a few years, and want to wait a 

 little longer for your forest conditions, then you can plant wider 

 than six feet by six feet. Spacing the trees eight feet by eight 

 feet, you have only six hundred and eight trees per acre. You 

 will not have to thin, but your trees will suffer somewhat in 

 height growth, and will not have as good clear length. A spacing 

 of six feet by six feet seems to be the most desirable in most 

 cases. 



The best time for forest planting is in the spring as soon as 

 possible after the frost is out of the ground. Trees may also be 

 planted in the fall after the summer's growth has been com- 

 pleted, i. e., from the last of August to the middle of October. 



It is often practical to raise the young trees yourself, right on 

 the farm. The seed is sown in seed-beds. The tiny trees are left 

 in the seed-beds one to three years, then taken out and placed in 

 transplant rows and left one or two years more. They are then 

 ready to be planted in the field. They can also be purchased 

 from your State Forestry Coimnission, or from local nursery- 

 men. They will cost about four dollars per thousand, and you 

 can figure the whole cost of making a plantation as about one 

 cent per tree. That would make a plantation with spacing six 

 by six, cost twelve dollars per acre; four by four, twenty-five 

 dollars per acre ; eight by eight, seven dollars per acre. In many 

 cases it can be done more cheaply. You will find your State 

 Forestry Commission eager to cooperate with you in every way 

 if you have some land to plant Avith trees. 



Marketing. — Maybe you have a large wood lot on Avhicli many 

 trees are ready to be cut. No trouble to find a market. If you 

 have only a small surplus over your own needs, get together with 

 a few of your neighbors and get a salable amount. In the next 



