18 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



LABORERS PLANTING WESTERN YELLOW PINE BY DEEP HOLE METHOD IN PIKE'S PEAK 



REGION, PIKE NATIONAL FOREST. 



year 19 in. It will be noted that sow- 

 ing on prepared soil, which consisted 

 mostly of seedspot sowing, cost nearly 

 as much as planting, notwithstanding 

 chat all sowing was done on the most 

 favorable sites : 



Planting work should lie done in the 

 spring and as early in the season as 

 \vealher conditions permit. In the 

 Pike's Peak region it is usually unwise 

 to plant after May 20. 



Since this region is rather dry, the 

 species used are mostly drought resist- 

 ing. In altitude- <>t~ less lh:ui 9,300 feet 

 \\ estern yellow pine i I 'inns ponderosa) 

 and Douglas lir ( Pseudotsuga ta.vi- 

 foliit) are hot adapted. The Western 

 \cllo\v pine endures dry winds and is 

 therefore used on the northwestern, 

 we-teni and southern exposures. Doug- 



las fir will not endure dry winds and 

 must be used only on the protected 

 northern and eastern exposures. Above 

 9,300 feet Douglas fir can be used on 

 warmer aspects because of the better 

 moisture conditions, and the colder situ- 

 ations are planted to Engelmann spruce 

 (Picea Engelmanni}, Limber pine 

 (Pinus flc.vilis), and Bristlecone pine 

 (Pinus aristata). Lodgepole pine 

 (Pinus contorta) takes the place of the 

 Western yellow pine above 9,300 feet. 

 Only stock of the best quality should be 

 planted. It costs as much to plant a 

 poor, sickly seedling as it does a vigor- 

 ous, healthy plant, and since the cost of 

 planting is the heaviest item of cost in 

 reforestation work, it is economy to 

 throw away unfit stock. 



The cost of planting operations may 

 \ary between certain wide limits, even 

 when strict economy is practiced. The 

 following is a list of the factors which 

 affect the cost of all planting work: 



1. Method of planting. 



'.?. Spacing of the plants. 



3. Si/e of stock. 



I. Soil. 



