180 OUR VANISHING FORESTS 



cultivated ground, and not until they are two or 

 three years old may he safely transplant them to a 

 permanent location. The most efficient nursery 

 results are obtained from rather large scale opera- 

 tions conducted by experts at a cost which private 

 owners, with only a temporary need to satisfy, can 

 hardly afford. The seedling supply, therefore, be- 

 comes strictly a problem for some central body, 

 preferably the state. However, the national gov- 

 ernment has also a particular interest in encouraging 

 tree planting by all the people, and national 

 cooperation with the states to promote the best and 

 most effective nursery methods is believed to be the 

 most desirable solution. 



Scientific study of planting methods is vitally 

 necessary. Where should pine be planted? Where 

 will hardwoods give better results? Of these 

 general classifications what particular species will 

 best thrive in any given locality? With effective fire 

 protection three-fourths of our cut-over lands will 

 reforest themselves, and perhaps the greatest 

 problem is to determine where not to plant at all 

 but let Nature attend to the work in her own way. 

 Should the brush left behind by previous operations 

 be burned or merely scattered? Perhaps it will 

 actually pay to remove it entirely. These are all 

 questions requiring careful experimentation con- 



