Canadian Forestry Journal, July, 1920. 



541 



Reforestation and Pulp Companies 



By 



ROBERT W. LYONS, B.Sc.F., 



Forester in Charge of Reforestation, 

 Laurentide Company, Ltd. 



More than seven years ago, in igi2, 

 the Laurentide Company, Limited, es- 

 tablished a small nursery at Grand 

 Mere. At this time, little was known 

 concerning the operations connected 

 with the growing of tree seedlings, and, 

 consequently, the first three or four 

 years were spent in experiments and 

 in learning the fundamentals appli- 

 cable to Northern Quebec. At the end 

 of three years, however, the knoweldge 

 gained prompted the Company to take 

 a great and effective interest in re- 

 forestation. 



Therefore, in 1916 the purchase of 

 waste land for the propagation of a 

 new forest was begun. It was decided 

 to establish a permanent nursery at 

 Proulx, 6 miles north of Grand 'Mere, 

 conveniently located to labor condi- 

 tions and nearness to the land to be 

 planted. From this beginning has de- 

 veloped a nursery of 27 acres with a 

 production in 1920 of 80.000 four-year- 

 old transplants, and there is under con- 

 struction the acreage to increase this 

 output to an annual production of 4.- 

 000,000 four-year-old transplants. 



The land had to be stumped, culti- 

 vated and thoroughly cleaned <>f all 

 debris such as sods, roots, sticks and 

 stones. Although the soil is light and 

 sandy, grading was nccesary to insure 

 proper drainage and in laying out and 

 forming the roads and paths, open 

 drains were formed which succssfnllv 

 carry off the surplus water. The 

 nursery was broken into three sections, 

 therefore, as the stock is two and two. 

 this permits a rotation crop o\crv two 

 years. In other words, two third-. ,if 

 the nursery is in trees, while a soiling 

 crop (buckwheat or fieia peas) is 

 grown on the otlicr third. 



Water, which is an essential factor, 

 is obtained from a small lake lying be- 

 low the nursery. Here a pump is in- 

 stalled, and by means of a gasoline en- 

 gine, the water is pumped into an iron 

 tank, 10' X 6', placed upon a tower 25' 

 high. From this tank water is con- 

 veyed to all parts of the area through 

 2" iron pipes laid along the ground 

 and for sprinkling V^." rubber hose is 

 used. Seed Beds. 



Seed beds are placed in the best 

 drained section of the nursery, are 

 raised three inches above the path, and 

 the surfaces rounded off slightly, so 

 that the centre is about one inch higher 

 than the outer edges. They are made 

 100' long, 4V2' wide. 3" on each side 

 allowed for washing away. After be- 

 ing shaped, the soil is thoroughly 

 moistened to a depth of 4". They are 

 then firmed and smoothed and the seed 

 is sown in drills 4" apart. 'A" deep. The 

 seed is covered, rolled and then cover- 

 ed with burlap and kept damp by 

 sprinkling with water until germina- 

 tion takes place. 



Care of Seed Beds. 



When the seed starts to break 

 ground, the burlap is removed and lath 

 shade screens are supportetl on frames 

 about 18" above the bed. These 

 screens are so constructed to j^rt^luce 

 half shade, and remain on the beds un- 

 til the season's growth is over. 

 In the late l^'all the beds are coxered 

 with straw, burla|) or moss. This 

 serves as a protection against heaving 

 by frost. In the Spring the coverings 

 are renitued, lea\ing the seedlings the 

 same as when covered. 



During the second MiinnuT the >ecd 

 beds rccpiire \ery little attentii>n, ex- 

 cept for weeding, and they are not 

 covered the following winter. 



