THE NORWAY SPRUCE. ;i61 



of soil ; they germinate after 3 to 5 weeks. About 10 pounds 

 of clean seed per acre are required for l)roadcast sowings. 



Sowings in nurseries ma^^ he done broadcast or in drills. 

 British nurserymen prefer the former, sowing about "6 of a 

 pound of seed per 100 square feet of seed bed. The seedlings 

 can be pricked out when one year old, but they are generally 

 left two years in the seed bed ; after they have stood one or 

 two \^ears in nursery lines they are put out into the forest ; 

 the plants may be placed 4 feet apart. 



On the Continent spruce is planted in a variety of ways ; 

 as seedlings, with or without balls of earth, or as transplants ; 

 either one plant may be placed into each planting spot, or 

 sometimes several plants are put together, so-called hmtrlt- 

 planting; the latter method is now little followed. 



Natural regeneration is effected both under shelter-woods 

 and on clear cuttings, the seed coming from adjoining woods. 

 If under a shelter-wood, the seeding cutting is made fairly 

 strong, and the final stage is short as compared with beech 

 and silver fir, because the young trees do not require so much 

 shelter and are less shade .bearing, while the mother trees 

 are liable to be thrown by storms after the cover has been 

 interrupted. 



In the extensive mixed forests of spruce and silver fir found 

 on the Continent, the seeding cuttings are made with special 

 reference to silver fir ; when a sufficient regeneration of the 

 latter has been effected, the spruce is frequently planted in 

 when the shelter-wood has been removed, so as to establish a 

 proper mixture in the young wood. 



/. Tcitdlit;!. 



Fertiliti/ of Soil. — Spruce is quite capable of preserving the 

 fertility of the soil as long as the cover is not interrupted. 



External Daugers. — Spruce is much exposed to dangers. 

 From late frosts it suffers only to a moderate extent, 

 but is very tender as regards dry winds and drought 

 generally. Persistent cold wdnds also are liable to injure 



