326 FORESTRY IN NEW ENGLAND 



dense enough nor of such rapid growth as to interfere with the 

 development of the plantation, which is often benefited by a 

 light shade for a few years. 



Included in the waste land type are certain lands in Massa- 

 chusetts^ at the end of Cape Cod, covered with drifting sands. 

 The surface soil here is continually shifting, being blown by the 

 winds into huge sand dunes. These moving dunes are a menace 

 to adjoining lands as well as being utterly unproductive. The 

 lands were formerly wooded, but as a result of cutting, grazing, 

 and forest fires have been rendered barren. In order to stop the 

 movement of these shifting sands it is necessary to reestablish 

 the forest cover. 



This is the most difhcult planting proposition in the region, 

 and one of the most difficult in the whole country. It is an ex- 

 ample of protective planting, calling for a large outlay, too 

 great to make the work pay financially. It is, therefore, a 

 project which the state or federal government, rather than 

 an individual, must handle. 



Trees cannot be planted at once on such land. It is neces- 

 sary first to hold the sands temporarily with some other form 

 of vegetation. Usually beach grass is planted first, then some 

 sort of a shrub such as bayberry is introduced. After these 

 woody plants have become well established trees are set out. 

 In past experience pitch pine, Austrian pine, Scotch pine, black 

 locust, and black alder (alnus glutinosa) have all been successful. 



Since sand dunes form but a small fraction of the land in the 

 waste land type, a more detailed discussion of planting such 

 land is unnecessary here. The reader is referred to an excel- 

 lent bulletin on the subject, which gives the details of what has 

 been done in planting the dunes on Cape Cod." 



^ Approximately 2000 acres. 



2 Bulletin No. 65 of the United States Bureau of Plant Industry, entitled 

 "Reclamation of Cape Cod Sand Dunes." 



