146 OHIO EXPERIMENT STATION: MONTHLY BULLETIN 



ground or in land free from grass and weeds, but generally 2 2- 

 year transplants are best. The latter size more nearly meets the 

 average Ohio conditions. 



THE PLANTING SITE 



The condition of the planting site will determine how it should 

 be treated before the trees are planted. If the ground is covered 

 with heavy sod and the plantation is small, it will often pay to plow 

 and disk. A plowed or cultivated crop grown on the land before 

 planting will put it in better condition. A crop can be grown with 

 the trees for a year or two if desired. This treatment will stimu- 

 late the. growth of the trees at the outset. Most sites cannot be 

 plowed owing to topography, and the woody growth they contain, 

 nor would such preparation be practicable for the large plantings. 

 Intensive preparation, however, is often advisable in establishing 

 the small farm woods. 



On some sites, particularly the abandoned fields, in the hilly 

 sections, the planter must contend with a weed growth such as 

 sassafras, gum, briars, and sumac. Occasionally it will be neces- 

 sary to cut the growth before planting. Where it is not dense and 

 the planted trees promise to grow ahead of the brush, the latter 

 will do no harm, and may in some cases be beneficial. Where 

 planting is done in the open spaces in native woods little needs to 

 be done to prepare the site, except the removal of weed trees, or 

 brush if too dense. 



SEASON FOR PLANTING 



Hardwood trees and deciduous conifers may be planted any 

 time during the dormant season when the soil is in good condition. 

 In practice, however, the best time is in early spring just as soon as 

 the frost is out of the ground and the soil is dry .enough until the 

 buds begin to swell. The earlier the planting is done the better it 

 will be for the trees. Autumn planting can be done as soon as the 

 trees have dropped their leaves, which is usually about the middle 

 of October, until it is cold enough to freeze the ground. Seedlings 

 planted in autumn are more likely to be heaved out by freezing and 

 thawing of the ground during the winter months. Otherwise fall 

 planted trees generally start growth more vigorously than those 

 planted in the spring, and especially if the latter are planted late. 

 On the heavy clay soils, however, that heave during winter, spring 

 planting is preferred, especially for small trees. 



