METHODS OF FRUIT CULTURE AND FORESTRY. 91> 



illustrate this point. Upon a poor, gravelly' hill-side, on the col- 

 lege farm at Amherst, where nothing but brambles and wliite 

 birches would grow, were planted, ten years ago, a lot of European 

 Larch and Scotch Pine trees, about two and a half feet high. The 

 trees were taken from a nursery about half a mile distant, one 

 squad of students digging thera, while another squad was planting. 

 The holes were dug about fifteen inches deep and eigiiteen inches 

 in diameter, and after planting the trees the soil on the upper side 

 of the hole was moved to the lower side, to form a basin to catch 

 the water as it runs down the slope. Nothing was applied in the 

 way of additional fertilizing material, but the surface soil was used 

 first about the roots, and the subsoil spread upon the top. With 

 the exception of about a dozen trees, all lived, and after about two 

 years began to grow rapidly. This lot last fall furnished a flag- 

 staff for the barn at the Experimental Station, from one of the 

 larches, thirt3' feet long, seven inches in diameter at the base, and 

 two and a half inches at the top. Many of the Larch trees are 

 larger than this, and the lot will average about thirty-eight feet high, 

 and six inches at the base. The Scotch Pines, planted at the same 

 time, upon the same land, have not reached as great height, but 

 are of greater diameter, and have made more branches. Had a 

 mulch been used after planting, or a little bone or some other 

 special fertilizer been added, the growth would have been much 

 more rapid the first two years ; and the}' would now be larger, as is 

 shown b}' a few specimen trees from the same lot that were planted 

 on equall}' poor soil, but which were mulched, and have had a few 

 shovelfuls of compost put around them at different times. One of 

 these larches now measures eleven iuches in diameter at the base, 

 and forty feet high, and there might be cut from it three lengths 

 for posts : one large stick eight feet long, that could be sawn so as 

 to make two posts five and a half inches thick at the base and 

 three and a half inches at the top, one round post seven inches 

 thick at the base, and five inches at the top, and one good vine- 

 ^•ard post ; the whole worth at least fift}' cents per tree. Reckon- 

 ing the average value at one-half the above, and estimating 1,000 

 trees to the acre, w-e have a value of $250 per acre. 



In 1871 a lot of white pine seedlings were taken from an old 

 pasture and planted along a hedgerow where an old Virginia 

 fence had been removed. The ground was full of roots of all sorts 

 of brush, which made the digging of the holes very laborious. 

 Three rows were planted, about five feet apart each way, the trees 



