Canadian Forestry Journal, Februar]), 1920 



77 



A GUIDE TO ONTARIO TREE PLANTERS 



By F. S. NeTH'man, Manager of the Provincial Forest Nurseries, 

 St. Willianis, Ont. 



The urgent necessity for extensive reforesta- 

 tion IS evident when we observe the rapidity 

 with which the productive forest area in On- 

 tario is decreasing and the condition in which 

 the greater part of the cut-over land is left. 

 Heretofore when one region was exploited, and 

 the timber removed, new areas of virgin forests 

 were cut, leaving ever increasing tracts of waste 

 land. In the southern part of the province, or 

 "Old Ontario" there are frequent farm wood- 

 lots, which although providing wood products 

 now, are not reproducing naturally. The time is 

 fast approaching when these woodlots will be 

 entirely cut down, hence it is apparent that 

 future wood crops must be provided by means 

 of reforestation. 



MEANING OF REFORESTATION. 



Reforestation means the growing of new for- 

 ests. This may be attained by natural repro- 

 duction from "rnother" trees, or by artificial re- 

 stocking. The latter system has been found to 

 be the most satisfactory, providing uniform 

 stands of pure or mixed sorts as desired. Natural 

 seeding is patchy, uncertain and incomplete. 

 Abandoned farms and waste lands that have 

 been allowed to run out, or that have been re- 

 peatedly lumbered and burned over, are more 

 often lacking in sufficient seed trees, and con- 

 sequently reproduction is possible only by means 

 of artificial reproduction. This issue is attained 

 by procuring forest seedlings with due regard to 

 their suitability to the area or site on which 

 they are to be planted. 



CHOICE OF SPECIES. 



Although the first factor in the choice of 

 species is that those selected are sufficiently 

 corelated to develop into a good stand, they 

 must also conform to the particular object that 

 the owner has in view when he makes the sel- 

 ection. 



The two general objects thai are usually en- 

 tertained in establishing a plantation may be 

 classified, viz: 



(a) The production of wood or other forest 

 products; 



(b) The protection which a forest affords. 

 Where the choice is made with the object of 



producing fuel, posts, lumber, etc., in the great- 

 est quantity in the shortest possible time, such 

 species as birch and Carolina poplar form a 



rapid wood crop, which though of somewhat in- 

 ferior quality, provides good summer wood and 

 brings a fair price on the market. Black locust 

 is without Deer for posts and poles, making an 

 exceptionally rapid growth and possessing" ex- 

 cellent qualities as to durability. Where a tim- 

 ber crop is the object. White, Scotch, and Red 

 Fines excel in lumber production. 



TO MODERATE WINDS. 



Trees grown for protective purposes should 

 be effective in checking wind velocity, in pre- 

 venting land slip on steep hill sides, in regulat- 

 ing water flow and in retarding soil erosion by 

 both wind and v/ater. Hemlocks, pines and 

 spruces for mthe best windbreaks, while the 

 deeper-rooted hickories and oaks excel in pre- 

 venting land slip and erosion. The nature of 

 the soil whereon the planting is to be done, 

 must also be taken into consideration. Artificia! 

 regeneration may fail on account of the soil not 

 meeting with the requirements of certam species. 

 All trees grow better on deep, porous, moist, 

 soil, rich in humus and mineral nutrients. 



In many places although the soil is fertile, 

 the ground surface is so steep and rough that 

 farming thereon is impossible. On such places 

 as these, walnut, white ash, cherry, beech and 

 other exacting species might be advisably plant- 

 ed. On less exacting sites, that is on light 

 sandy or gravelly soils, white pine, Scotch pine, 

 red pine, red cedar and upland oaks should do 

 well, while the shallow rooted species such as 

 spruce, maple, elm. etc.. are best suited to the 

 heavier clay soils. A safe guide in choosing 

 which species are best suited to the prospective 

 area to be planted, is to observe stands of tim- 

 ber on adjacent woodlands, comparing the soil 

 conditions and assessing the development in 

 order to judge, whether or not. the trees are 

 growing under favorable conditions. 



WHERE SEEDLINGS ARE OBTAINED. 



Careful attention having been given as to 

 choice of species, the next step is to proc^ire 

 the seedlings. Upon applying to E. J. Zavitz. 

 Provincial Forester for Ontario. Forestry 

 Branch, 17 Queen's Park. Toronto, forest seed- 

 lings may be obtained from the provincial forest 

 nurseries at St. Williams. Ont. These seedlings 

 are packed and shipped early in May. They 



