1 40 PRACTICAL FORESTRY. 



development will be excessive, and apt to retard vertical 

 growth. The equilateral distribution is preferable because 

 the trees stand at equal distances in each direction, and 

 undue crowding is avoided. 



A Home Nursery. 



If planting on an extensive scale be proposed, and especi- 

 ally if conducted annually, there should be a home 

 nursery. This will place the trees safely upon a sound 

 financial basis, and undue exposure of plants between 

 lifting and final planting will be avoided. A nursery can- 

 not be made at a moment's notice ; so the landowner will 

 be wise who chooses a site and prepares the soil without 

 delay. The buying of seedling conifers, and passing the 

 same through the nursery, is preferable to the collection and 

 sowing of home-grown seed. 



Direct Sowing. 



There are occasions when direct sowing of seed is pre- 

 ferred to planting ; but this can only be successfully done 

 under conditions which lend themselves to such operation. 

 It is better adapted to the regeneration of exhausted wood- 

 land than to the creation of new areas. The wise and 

 regular deposit of acorns will often more rapidly result in 

 the establishment of an oak plantation than when seedling 

 trees are planted. The same applies to beech, for neither 

 of these trees lends itself well to transplantation. 



Direct sowing may be successfully carried out somewhat 

 on the following plan ; but local conditions should be 

 studied and the sowing compared with other methods before 

 adopting it. 



Lightly fork the surface, sow liberally the seed of larch, 

 Scotch pine, beech mast, ash keys, and other smnll seeds ; 

 and dibble in acorns at set distances. Cover in the whole, 



