WHERE PLANTING IS ADVANTAGEOUS. 9 



Often the problem is not one of purely commercial planting, but of 

 preventing drifting sand from encroaching on valuable property. 

 Near the coast the white pine is not the best tree for this use, owing 

 to the injurious effect of salt winds upon its foliage. But for the 

 interior sandy lands of the Northeast no better tree can be recom- 

 mended. 



PLANTING ON BARE LANDS AND WORN-OUT PASTURES. 



There is a large amount of land in New England which, though 

 practical^ worthless for other purposes, shows favorable conditions 

 for forest planting. In many regions, especially in Massachusetts, 

 Connecticut, and New Hampshire, these bare lands are slowly being 

 covered naturally with white pine. This growth in most cases will 

 never be of much value because, standing as it does in the open, it is 

 low, branching, and undesirable. The expense of planting on these 

 lands is comparatively low, for 2-year-old seedlings may be planted, 

 whereas on sprout or brushy areas it is usually found necessary to use 

 transplants. The cost of planting is thus reduced about 50 per cent. 



PLANTING ON CUT-OVER LANDS. 



In almost every Eastern State there are large areas of forest land 

 which have been cut over, and have since been swept by annual fires 

 which have driven out the valuable species, and left scrubby oak, 

 cherry, maple, poplar, and shrubs. Such land presents one of the most 

 difficult of tree-planting problems, and usually planting is imprac- 

 ticable upon it. Much additional care and expense is necessary to 

 protect the young seedlings from fire and the competition of rapid- 

 growing trees and shrubs. The expense of planting also is increased, 

 for all dense sprout growth must be removed and larger seedlings or 

 transplants used in order to advance the growth as much as possible. 



On recently cut-over areas which have not been burned, tree plant- 

 ing is seldom necessary, for usually valuable species will reproduce 

 naturally. Cut-over recently burned areas frequently present satis- 

 factory conditions, and planting of 3-year-old once-transplanted 

 white pine should be successful. On areas where sprout growth is 

 scarce or poorly distributed practical tree planting usually consists 

 merely of filling the gaps, thus assisting natural regeneration. 



THE WOODLOT. 



On almost every farm there are at least a few acres which are 

 valueless for other purposes than woods, and which might produce 

 fuel, fence-posts, and timber for the construction of farm buildings. 

 The farmer need be at little expense in planting these tracts, for 

 usually he can collect his own seed or seedlings. If his land is unsuit- 

 able for direct seed planting, he may either gather his seedlings in the 



