250 RED OAK CLASS 



stand, or sowing them in a nursery and transplanting them 

 into the forest when two or three years old, is entirely feas- 

 ible. While it develops a rather conspicuous tap-root, it 

 will, like the White Ash and several other trees, suffer its 

 removal in early life without seriously checking its growth, 

 for it naturally takes on lateral roots as it passes out of 

 babyhood. If young trees are grown in the nursery, and 

 that is what is done to a great extent in Europe, they 

 should be taken out of the seed-beds at the end of the first 

 year's growth, the tap-root removed, and the little trees set 

 in the transplant nursery, there to remain for one or two 

 years, when they can be removed to the forest without 

 much loss ; or, if conditions are favorable, they can be set 

 out in the forest when only one year old. At that age they 

 average eight inches in height. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the tree can be success- 

 fully transplanted when young, planting the acorns where 

 the trees are to grow, as with White Oak, is preferable if 

 the ground is not too densely covered with bushes, grass, 

 or weeds. This is less expensive and saves at least two 

 years' time in tree-growth. To guard against failure to 

 germinate, two or more acorns should be planted in each 

 place. If set out or planted as a pure stand, no other trees 

 mixed with them, six by six feet apart would be a good 

 distance, and at the final thinning they could be left eighteen 

 feet apart, or a few more than one hundred and thirty to 

 the acre, which would be a close stand for mature Oaks of 

 any kind. 



All things considered, the tree is eminently worthy of 

 propagation, and care should be taken to protect all now 

 growing and efforts put forth largely to increase the stand. 

 If the seeds are planted in the fall in that case there is 

 little danger of animals disturbing them it should be 

 done early, for the acorns frequently sprout soon after fall- 

 ing from the tree. If stored until spring, they should be 

 stratified in sand and kept in a cool place and planted as 

 early as possible. 



