Canadian Forestry Journal, May, iq20. 



Ontario's Tree Incubating Plant 



241 



Probably in no other district in On- 

 tario has reforestation taken such a 

 grip as in Prince Edward and in Nor- 

 folk counties, for both of these have 

 areas of soil which lends itself to no 

 ■other branch of field husbandry. 



It was with at least a degree of 

 foresight that the Government open- 

 ed the reforestation station in South 

 ^^'alsingham Township, Norfolk 

 County, three miles north of St. \\"\\- 

 liams. in the year 1908. 



At that time the seedlings prc^pa- 

 gated on experimental plots at Guelph 

 Avere thansplanted to a more congenial 

 soil, for at least the conifers, and six 

 yaers later these had risen to a height 

 of from eight to 15 feet. Today thev 

 are 20 to 2^ feet high and four to 

 eight inches in diameter at the base. 



The Forestville Station. 



The Forestville station, as it is cal- 

 led, is serving a double purpose. The 

 plantation is about 800 acres in extent 

 and while reforestation is carried on 

 as an experiment, on a large scale, 

 hundreds of thousands of trees are 

 grown from seed and distributed free 

 of cost throughout Ontario for refor- 

 estation purposes. 



Already it lias been demonstrated 

 that light l)l(iw sand, upon which 

 notiiing else will thrixc. a splendid 

 •covering of pines may easily be 

 grown. AW'iste land becomes more 

 attractive. ]:)roducti\-e and valuable, 

 added windl)reak is ])ro\idcd. and 

 moisture is held in the ^itmos]>here 

 and the soil. lUit what is most im- 

 ])ortant. new forests S|)ring U]) to add 

 to the e\ er-diminishing supply of 

 timber. 



Put white pine is not the only 

 species ])ro])agation at the l'"ore^t\ille 

 station. Scotch, red. jack and l)ull 

 ]iiiic, wliite (.■(.■dar. li.-ird .-ind soil 

 maple, while ash. l)lack walnut, black 

 liTn-^l. tcmI oak, Carolina ])ciplar and 

 black cherry ;ire srnue ot the S|)ecies 

 grown. hi t.'ict. aluK^st e\"ery sj^ecies 

 indigeniius tn ( )ntari(i i> re])resented 

 liere. 



During the past ten year-^- those in 

 •chars'-e at the station li,i\ r done much 



experimental work along the line of 

 seed selection, and have learned that 

 local grown seed is most satisfactory. 

 As in other branches of husbandrv. "it 

 has been found that poor seed does 

 not pay. 



A Natural Arboretum. 



Few counties in Ontario can boast 



of such a varied soil as Norfolk 



everything from barren blow sand to 

 heavy clay, and as naturally follows, 

 few can boast of such a variety of 

 timber— Rock elm, soft elm, hard' and 

 soft maple, varieties of beech, birch, 

 walnut, butternut, chestnut, black, 

 red and white oak. the poplar and 

 willow tribe, locust, buttonwood and 

 cherry are among the deciduous; the 

 pines, balsams, cedars, spruces, larch 

 and junipers among the .conifers. How 

 fitting, therefore, that the station 

 should be located as to encourage 

 ])ropagation of forest on waste land 

 or inaccessible areas desirable of re- 

 clamation, with such a variety of 

 local grown seed available. The seed 

 question at present is quite a prob- 

 lem. 



Sowing the Seeds. 



Seeds domestic and imported are 

 first })lanted in beds with a protective 

 ccnering of lath screen to prevent ex- 

 cessive heat and provide somewhat of 

 .-Ml approximation to natural ci^ndi- 

 tions. Broadcast or in mws. with a 

 covering of a quarter of an inch or 

 less, the exergreen seeds germinated 

 slowly, as a ride, when smvn either in 

 autumn or spring. 



The plants are left undisturbed for 

 two years, the screens rcnw.-ed at 

 the end of the tirst year and the\' are 

 then set out in nur--ery lines. White 

 pines are. at this time, aiiout four 

 ii'ches high. The tr;in>^])lanting de- 



\ elops the root system. A year or 

 two later these seedlings are ready 

 for ])lanting in the o,v';i I'erhaps 



the planting out. which will be of 

 most intere-t to tho>e who haye ]iur- 

 sued this article thus t'ar. is sufficient- 

 ly docribeil in the word< i^\ a prom- 



