SITE OF NURSERY 33 



be no plants that have been raised and await planting 

 out, and thus the mortality among freshly planted 

 trees is reduced to a minimum. 



(7) The risk of introducing insect and fungoid attacks is 



minimised. 



(8) No " culls " are ever used inadvertently. 1 



FORMATION OP A NURSERY. 

 (1) Choice of Site. 



Generally speaking, a northern or north-western aspect 

 is preferable for a forest nursery. 



On southern or eastern aspects the majority of trees will 

 start into growth too early, and hence there is a great danger 

 that they will suffer from late spring frosts ; and on eastern 

 aspects there is the additional risk of the plants suffering 

 from the effects of cold, dry, east winds. 



The actual altitude at which the nursery is situated is not 

 a matter of very great importance in this country; though 

 trees which are intended to be planted out at high altitudes 

 should advisedly be obtained from nurseries at similar 

 altitudes. The relative altitude, however, is a matter of the 

 very greatest importance. A low relative altitude should 

 never be chosen ; for late spring and early autumn frosts are 

 far more frequent in valleys, dells and coombes, than on 

 higher ground. For the same reason, a nursery site should 

 never be chosen on a large expanse of level ground ; gently 

 sloping ground is to be much preferred. 



Care should be taken that a very sheltered place is not 

 selected ; in fact, if the greater part of the planting is going 

 to be done on exposed land, the nursery itself should be 

 somewhat exposed, and the seedling trees can artificially 

 be given such shelter as may seem expedient. 



If possible and convenient, the nursery should be 



1 In trade nurseries it is a common practice to transplant the 

 vigorous plants from a bed, and to leave the weaklings or " culls " for 

 another year. Such culls, the produce of weakly seed, are worthless, 

 but they are unfortunately often used. 



C 



