390 SEEDING AND PLANTING 



32. The Advantages of Pit or Trench Planting on 

 Overdry Sites 



The depression of the surface of the planting hole below the 

 general level of the soil is of very decided advantage from the 

 standpoint of moisture available for the roots during periods of 

 prolonged drought, as the lowermost roots, particularly those of 

 small, short-rooted plants, can be brought to a depth of a foot or 

 more below the general surface of the soil. The objections to this 

 method of planting are the added expense and the usually poorer 

 soil that the roots are brought in contact with when the trees are 

 planted at the bottom of pits or trenches. If the soil is loose, the 

 depressions are likely to fill with sand blown in by the wind, thus 

 injuring or completely covering small plants. When small plants 

 are set in the bottom of plowed furrows the same manner of dam- 

 age is likely to occur. 



The commonest method of planting below the general level of 

 the surface soil is planting in furrows. Furrow planting is practiced 

 in the sand hills of Nebraska l and elsewhere on exceptionally dry 

 sites that permit of furrowing with the plow. 



33. Bad Effects of Poor Soil About the Roots of 

 Newly Set Plants 



Where there is marked contrast between the fertility of the 

 upper soil layer as compared with the deeper soil, the best soil 

 removed in the opening of the planting hole should be brought 

 into contact with the roots on filling in about the plants. This 

 provision will stimulate the plants to quick growth and rapid 

 root development. Care should be exercised that surface litter, 

 which is usually coarse and contains an excess of organic matter, 

 is not brought in contact with the roots in planting. It dries out 

 rapidly and is to be avoided even more than the less fertile soil 

 from the bottom of the hole. 



Mayr, 2 Heyer, 3 Gayer, 4 Reuss, 5 and other European authors 



1 Bates, C. G., and Pierce, R. G. : Forestation of the sand hills of Nebraska 

 and Kansas. (U. S. Forest Service, Bui. 121. 1913.) 



2 Mayr, Heinrich: Waldbau auf naturgesetzlicher Grundlage. S. 419. 

 Berlin, 1909. 



3 Heyer, Carl: Der Waldbau oder die Forstproduktenzucht. 5. Aufl., 

 1. Bd., S. 330. Leipzig, 1906. 



4 Gayer, Karl: Der Waldbau. 4. Aufl., S. 373. Berlin, 1898. 



6 Reuss, Hermann : Die forstliche Bestandesgriindung. S. 108. Berlin, 1907. 



