1905 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



169 



der went to Illinois. Think of its be- 

 ing necessary to send hundreds of 

 miles to get pine seedlings, to the 

 prairies of the West where they grow 

 only in nurseries and hence artificial- 

 ly, when this tree is indigenous and 

 propagates itself, it allowed to do so, 

 in New England. One of our Amer- 

 ican foresters advocated purchasing 

 pine seedlings direct from Germany 

 as the most feasible plan at the time. 



The amount of seed recommended 

 by best authorities was five pounds 

 per acre. The purchase of seedlings 

 from Illinois proved as successful as 

 'anything that could approach an eco- 

 nomic standard at the time. The idea 

 of sowing ten dollars worth of seed 

 on an acre of land that has a valua- 

 tion ranging from fifty cents to five 

 dollars was not considered practical. 

 The transporation of seedlings from 

 so far west has its drawbacks not only 

 from the standpoint of extra expense 

 but the risks in shipment, which are 

 many. 



After much study of forestry con- 

 ditions and experimentation toward 

 doing something that will be of actual 

 economic benefit, especially in New 

 England, I am convinced that results 

 will be followed generally only where 

 simple, well defined, tested practices 

 have proven to be successful. 



Upon careful examination the writ- 

 er has found in different sections 

 where the white pine is native, young 

 natural seedlings in large numbers, 

 and it is to emphasize the importance 

 of utilizing these resources already 

 at hand and to point out results from 

 experiments in utilizing them that this 

 paper has offered. 



Seedlings of varying ages can be 

 easily transplanted and be made to 

 live if care is exercised and thev are 

 handled early in the season. Those 

 we have found to be the most eco- 

 nomical to use have been from two 

 to four years of age. Data upon dig- 

 ging and transplanting these native 

 seedlings at the New Hampshire Col- 

 lege has been recorded at various 

 times, but the best and most reliable 



information to offer is the cost of 

 digging and transplanting 22,000 

 seedlings the past spring. Many of 

 the students at the New Hampshire 

 College help defray their expenses 

 while attending the institution and it 

 was these boys who did the work 

 under the supervision of one of their 

 own number, Mr. Wesley P. Flint, 

 who is specializing in forestry. The 

 work of digging was begun on April 

 i8th and the seedlings were dug in 

 various localities about Durham. The 

 best method for digging was found to 

 be by the use of the nurseryman's 

 hoe, a two tined hoe resembling in 

 some respects the potato digger. By 

 the use of this tool one man can 

 loosen about as many as two men can 

 pull or pick up. One quick man can 

 follow fairly well. These seedlings 

 need a little care in lifting, however, 

 after being loosened by the hoe. 

 Where they have grown in sod ground 

 as is often the case in the meadow at 

 the edge of the woods one man can 

 loosen as many as three men can 

 pick up as they should be handled. 

 It sometimes happens, however, where 

 seedlings are growing in fine, deep, 

 rich leaf mould, if gathered at the 

 right season, they will come up as rap- 

 idly as one can pick them, so easily 

 do they free their roots from the soil. 



A man can hold about twenty- 

 five trees in his hand easily and when 

 this number has been pulled they may 

 be put in small piles or baskets, pro- 

 tecting the roots from the sun. Aver- 

 aging all conditions which varied 

 from sod to those grown in leaf mould, 

 each man averaged from 175 to 250 

 trees per hour. It is a safe estimate 

 to say that seedlings of three years 

 of age can be dug for about 75 cents 

 per thousand. 



Packing : Where the trees are not 

 to be shipped of course this item of 

 expense is not reckoned. Where they 

 are to be shipped, however, the best 

 method we could devise was to use 

 the ordinary Boston market bushel 

 box. As shown in the accompanying 

 photograph, they can be placed flat- 



