FOREST PLANTING 147 



The larch usually does better when planted in the autumn be- 

 cause of its tendency to leaf out early in the spring, oftentimes 

 before soil and weather conditions are suitable for planting. 



Evergreen trees should be planted in the spring. If planted 

 early they get a better start, and a larger percentage will live. 

 Occasionally successful plantations of evergreens have been estab- 

 lished in the autumn, but in most sections of the State the losses 

 have been so heavy that fall planting is not recommended. Moist 

 weather during the month of August is the most favorable time 

 for autumn planting of evergreens. Larger individual specimen 

 trees are often planted in early autumn with success. In fact, 

 many nurserymen prefer that season for moving evergreens ; but 

 small forestry stock is too likely to die from drouth following plant- 

 ing, or from severe winter, before they have time to become estab- 

 lished. 



SPACING TREES IN PLANTATION 



Much has yet to be learned about spacing the various species 

 of trees in forest planting. Authorities are inclined to agree, how- 

 ever, that the tendency has been to space too close. The theory of 

 spacing is that some useful product will be obtained from the trees 

 cut when thinning becomes necessary. However, this is not 

 always possible under present conditions. Trees which are planted 

 close together and permitted to stand without thinning grow more 

 slowly when they commence to crowd. In the struggle for suprem- 

 acy, the weaker ones are suppressed and crowded out. The 

 stronger develop large slender trunks with narrow crowns. On 

 the other hand, trees which are planted too far apart develop short 

 tapering trunks and long wide crowns, thereby reducing their use- 

 fulness for timber. A certain degree of density is necessary in the 

 earlier stages of growth to cause timber trees to grow in height 

 and to develop boles of little taper and free from branches. To 

 obtain best development in this respect requires some variation in 

 the spacing of different species, depending on their character and 

 growth habits. Those which are tolerant of shade require close 

 spacing to produce clean trunks, while such intolerant, erect-grow- 

 ing species as tulip poplar and cottonwood may be farther apart 

 and still develop columnar trunks free from branches. 



The foregoing table of spacing distance is based on the best 

 information at hand for the several species which are being planted 

 in Ohio. 



