34 REFORESTATION ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 



to leave an open hole, into which the acorn or nut is dropped. 

 Merely stepping on the spot is sufficient to cover the seed. During 

 rainy weather or after severe forest fires the ground is sometimes 

 soft enough to permit of satisfactory sowing by dropping the nuts 

 or acorns on the surface and crushing them in by stepping on them. 

 More seed and closer spacing should be used when this is done. 



SEED SPOTS. 



The seed-spot method has some decided advantages over broad- 

 casting or sowing in strips. Less seed per acre is required, the pre- 

 pared spot gives the seed a better chance to germinate, and the seed- 

 lings have a better chance to grow, because the prepared spots are 

 usually made in the most favorable places. Moreover, the result of 

 the sowing can be more readily determined. 



The spots are usually prepared with a mattock, a heavy hoe, or 

 an iron rake (PI. VI, fig. 2). The size of the spot and the depth to 

 which the soil is loosened depend upon the character of the ground 

 cover and the species to be sown. The spots are usually made square, 

 with a side of from 12 to 20 inches. In locating them advantage is, of 

 course, taken of any suitable shelter available. On level ground the 

 turf is thrown upon the southern side of the spot to avoid the reflec- 

 tion from the sun's rays and the consequent baking of the young 

 plants. On slopes the soil is thrown upon the lower edge of the 

 spot in order to aid in holding moisture and to preclude the burying 

 of the young seedlings by washing from above. The distance be- 

 tween the seed spots varies with the species and the character of the 

 ground, in the case of slow-growing species usually about 2 feet 

 apart, while with more rapid-growing trees the distance between them 

 may be 8 or 9 feet. In some cases loosening the ground to a depth 

 of more than 2 or 3 inches seems inadvisable, since the loosened soil 

 dries out rapidly and the seedling is injured be-fore its roots have 

 had a chance to penetrate the unloosened moist soil beneath. The 

 chief function of the spot is to make sure that the seed reaches the 

 mineral soil, and partially to eliminate, for a time at least, competi- 

 tion with grass and other plants. Where the ground cover consists 

 of strong-growing plants and plants which produce heavy shade dur- 

 ing the growing season spots should be even more than a foot wide. 

 Where a shade-enduring species is being sown on a moist situation 

 the spots may even be less than a foot wide. 



In seed-spot sowing three men constitute a good crew, two selecting 

 and making the spots, and one sowing the seed. In practice it is 

 found that the man dropping the seed can also cover it, whenever 

 this is advisable, and yet keep up with the men preparing the spots. 

 Coniferous seed, except that of the largest, like sugar pine, should in 

 no case be covered to a depth of more than one-half inch. 



