12 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



then be laid down on the mulch, to hold it in place and prevent it 

 from being scattered by the wind. 



The seedlings of deciduous trees need not be mulched, but it is 

 often well to hill them up slightly just before the ground freezes, 

 by piling a little earth up around the stem with a hoe or culti- 

 vator. Mulching may, however, be resorted to where the winter 

 is severe. 



In the spring, as soon as the snow is off and the frost out of 

 the ground, the mulch should be removed and the screens put 

 up over the evergreen seedlings. Weeding should be done when 

 necessary during the season, from three to four times probably 

 being sufficient if they have been well taken care of in the pre- 

 vious year. 



Hardening off of Evergreens. 



In the later part of the season, when the sun is not as strong as 

 during the summer, the screens should be removed for a short 

 time each day, a little longer each time, and finally left off alto- 

 gether. This will harden the plants, and get them into condition 

 to withstand the second winter without mulching, so that they 

 will be ready to transplant in the following spring. 



Transplanting. 



When the white pine seedlings are two years old, they should 

 be either transplanted in the nursery (Figs. Y and 8) or set in 

 their permanent sites. It is generally preferable to transplant 

 them in the nursery for one or two years, in order to form a more 

 compact root growth and make a more stocky plant. In the 

 spring, as soon as the frost is well out of the ground (April or 

 May), the seedlings should be dug up and tied in bunches of 50 

 or 100. In digging, care should be taken not to break off many 

 of the small rootlets. It is also better to choose a cloudy day 

 for the work, rather than a bright, sunshiny day, when there is 

 danger of the roots drying out quickly. 



Puddling. 



As soon as the trees are dug and tied into bunches, the roots 

 should be dipped into a puddle of mud and water, mixed to the 

 consistency of common paint. This covers the roots with a thin 

 coating of dirt, which prevents their coming in contact with the 

 air and drying out. 



