78 OUR NATIONAL FORESTS 



major emphasis in reforestation work is placed 

 upon planting, considerable seeding is being done, 

 but it is confined to the most favorable localities 

 and sites. 



Planting on the National Forests. Reforesta- 

 tion by planting young trees has received much 

 attention during the last few years principally be- 

 cause it has produced better results. Much still 

 remains to be said for both methods and future 

 experiments alone can decide which method to use 

 in a specified region and under given conditions of 

 climate and soil. Usually direct seeding has been 

 tried first in any given locality where reforestation 

 work was to be done. In fact the policy of the 

 Forest Service in artificial reforestation on the 

 National Forests has been, first, to conduct experi- 

 ments to find out what can be done and what is the 

 best way to do it ; second, to reforest by direct seed- 

 ing wherever this is feasible; and third, to plant 

 nursery seedlings where direct seeding has been 

 found too uncertain. 



In selecting areas for planting, preference is 

 usually given to the watersheds of streams im- 

 portant for irrigation and municipal water supply 

 and to land which is capable of producing heavy 



