FOREST PLANTING. 21 



Thinning. No plantation made as here directed will need 

 thinning before it is twenty years old. When the time for that 

 comes further advice should be sought. 



TIME TO PLANT. 



In this climate early spring, as soon as the frost is out of the 

 ground, is best. Be ready so that no time need be lost. De- 

 ciduous trees should never be taken from the ground while their 

 leaves are on. Evergreens can be, and often are, planted suc- 

 cessfully in late summer and early fall, but there is always dan- 

 ger that the winds of winter, often very dry, will put too great a 

 strain upon the weakened root system of any tree that is moved 

 in the fall. Cloudy or wet weather is always better than bright 

 sunshine. 



A FOREST NURSERY. 



Small trees can now be bought at prices so low that it rarely 

 is advisable to grow them from seed. But one can save much 

 money, and have the trees when they are wanted, by establish- 

 ing a transplant nursery. 



Location, Soil. Choose a spot as for a garden ; rich, warm, 

 gently sloped and, if possible, with water for irrigation so that 

 drouth shall not cause loss. In the spring, work the ground 

 and fertilize it as for corn. 



The Kind of Plants to Buy. Deciduous trees should be one 

 year old rather than more. They are then from 4 to 16 inches 

 tall. As evergreen trees of the same age are rarely over 5 

 inches tall, often not more than 2 inches, it usually pays to get 

 two-year-olds. 



Planting (Transplanting). When the young trees are re- 

 ceived, care for them as directed on p. 16. When ready to plant, 

 make furrows 18 inches apart with a hand-plow, going over each 

 line twice if necessary to get the required depth. Or, if the soil 

 is moist and compact, make a long cleft with a spade along each 

 line. This method is often better than furrowing because the 

 opening is deeper and the roots are more easily covered. 



