THE FOREST NURSERY 103 



thrown out of the ground by alternate freezing and thaw- 

 ing during winter and early spring. One method of doing 

 this is to cover the whole bed an inch or two deep with 

 nioss and decaying leaves from the forest, being careful 

 not to put too much over the plants. Conifers rarely reach a 

 height of two inches at the end of the first season's growth 

 and a slight covering of their tops will do no harm. Pine 

 needles have served as an excellent covering in many known 

 cases, although it has been claimed by some that they heat 

 and thus destroy the plants ; but it is hard to conceive that 

 heating can occur when the covering does not exceed two 

 inches in thickness. Where failure has occurred in the use 

 of pine needles it has undoubtedly been caused by covering 

 too deeply. If the materials named cannot be procured, cut 

 straw will serve a very good purpose, or a covering of coarse 

 manure or barnyard litter placed between the rows and 

 close to the plants will answer better than nothing, al- 

 though these may be filled with weed and grass seeds. If 

 green hemlock boughs can be obtained and spread several 

 inches thick over the entire bed they will prove a very 

 good protection. A few plants may be broken down but not 

 many. The first snow that falls will be likely to pass down 

 through the boughs, surrounding and covering the plants, 

 and may lie there until spring. The boughs gradually shed 

 their leaves, and by the time danger is passed nothing but 

 the naked branches are left as covering. The leaves will 

 act as a mulch, although they seem to possess little manu- 

 rial value. The most trying time is during the months of 

 February and March, and the removal of the covering 

 should not take place until alternate freezing and thawing 

 has ceased ; but, unfortunately, it is impossible always to 

 determine that time. 



Another plan has been adopted at the New York State 

 Forest Nursery at Saranac Inn, and also at the Pennsyl- 

 vania State Forest Nursery at Mont Alto, which has thus 

 far proved very successful, and, although somewhat expen- 

 sive, yet it costs but little more than the others and results 



