ESTABLISHING FORESTS BY PLANTING 367 



When trees are ordered from an outside nursery, if not in stock, 

 they are usually obtained elsewhere and not infrequently are packed 

 and repacked two or more times before they 'reach the planter. 

 They are often several weeks in transit or in storage. Because of 

 the congestion of spring work in large nurseries the stock often is 

 lifted months before it is shipped and is stored in packing sheds. A 

 serious hindrance to successful planting often arises from the uncer- 

 tainty in securing the stock from the nursery at the most opportune 

 time for planting, especially when it is shipped for some distance 

 or sent by freight. Even when it reaches the planter on the date 

 agreed upon, weather conditions are often adverse to successful 

 planting. On the other hand, where the stock is grown in home 

 nurseries there is no delay between lifting the plants and setting 

 them out. 



When planting operations are conducted on a small scale or 

 when a small amount of stock of a variety of species is required, 

 it is usually more advantageous to collect wild stock or to pur- 

 chase the trees required from a responsible dealer. The success- 

 ful and economic production of nursery stock requires special 

 training and experience on the part of the grower. When grown 

 on a small scale by inexperienced workmen the result is uncertain 

 and the cost likely to be excessive. 



7. THE USE OF WILD STOCK 



In most instances the quality of nursery-grown stock is far 

 superior to that of wild stock. The root system is better devel- 

 oped and the shoot is more "stocky" and vigorous. The buds 

 are better developed and the young plants grow much more 

 vigorously after transplanting. They invariably yield better re- 

 sults under adverse conditions. Wild stock of all species may be 

 used but with varying degrees of success. All species which form 

 a deeply penetrating tap root with few weak lateral roots during 

 early life should not be used as wild stock in planting operations. 

 Even with the greatest care the loss will be excessive. On the 

 other hand, species which develop a diversified root system during 

 their early life, as in the sugar maple, white pine, and red spruce, 

 are more acceptable for use as wild stock. 



Not only is wild stock poorly developed but it is uneven in size 

 and quality. When such stock is used many plants are set which 

 should be discarded and, as a consequence, the percentage of loss 



