TREE PLANTING AND NURSERY WORK AT INDIAN 



HEAD. 



BY NORMAN M. ROSS. 



The season now closing has been a most favorable one for 

 general nursery and tree planting work. The crop of seedlings 

 grown for distribution, though not quite so large as that raised 

 last year, owing to a very dr\^ spell of w^eather in August, which 

 practically stopped all growth, is a very good one, the seedlings 

 being particularly strong and vigorous. All the permanent 

 plantations and belts have made wonderful growth, the new 

 wood on the cottonwoods and willows averaging at least 4 feet — 

 the maples not quite so much. 



This year about 5 acres of pennanent plantation was set 

 out in native white spruce and Scotch pine ; the former were raised 

 from seed in our own nurseries and when planted were 4 years 

 old, having been 2 years in the transplanting beds. The young 

 plants were from eight inches to one foot in height and \er\' strong 

 and healthy. Of the Scotch pine 75% were grown at Indian 

 Head and were 4-year transplants, 25% were imported from 

 France as 3-year transplants. It will be interesting to notice 

 which lot of plants come through the winter best. Up to the 

 present date these evergreen plantations have done very well, 

 on the whole not more than 15 to 18%, of the young trees having 

 died. As they are very slightly protected it is expected that a 

 considerable number may not survive the winter should the 

 snowfall be light. Last year about 500 Scotch pine from France 

 were set out in mixture with native spruce and tamarac. The 

 winter was not very favorable for young evergreens, as there was 

 practically no snow cover. In early spring, owing to verv severe 

 winds and bright sun, many of the young trees were browned up 

 and did not recover. However, 60% came through and have 

 made a very good stocky growth this season. This winter, as the 

 plantation has made considerable headway, much more snow 

 will be held on the ground and very little loss should occur from 

 winter killing. 



The native white spruce in the nursery, which were planted 

 in spring of 1904 in mixture with native larch, are now well 

 established, and this season many of the young trees made a 

 growth of over two feet. The tamarac however, is evidentlv too 

 strong for the spruce and will overgrow them completelv in a 

 year or so more. The growth that the tamarac has made is 

 wonderful. When planted in 1904 the seedlings were not more 



