210 ELEMENTS OF SYLVICULTUEE. 



as yet branchless, have generally a single long root, 

 of which a considerable portion is left in the ground, 

 or is necessarily lopped off ; they succeed with diffi- 

 culty unless they are not more than two years old. 

 As for conifers, with the sole exception of the silver 

 fir, which cannot stand transplanting before the age 

 of three years, the younger the plants are the better. 



NUESEEIES. The first question to settle is that 

 of site. It is not necessary to establish a nursery in 

 the forest itself under the pretext that the young 

 plants will suffer less by remaining in the same soil. 

 Whatever the soil into which they are ultimately to 

 be put out, the nursery should be situated in deep 

 soil of good quality, on horizontal, or rather slightly 

 inclined ground, sheltered, but not entirely so, and 

 in the proximity of a spring or stream if that is 

 possible. 



In deep soil of good quality the seedlings will be 

 vigorous and well furnished with roots, and will, 

 therefore, evidently resist the risks that attend the 

 operation of putting out better than others. The 

 mineral composition of the soil is of little importance 

 because in a nursery it is modified by the mould or 

 manure put into it. Nevertheless sandy loam is to 

 be preferred. The ground must be slightly inclined, 

 to avoid an excess of moisture, but not too much so, 

 in order to escape the opposite extreme. An eastern 

 or south-eastern aspect is the best, because there 

 the season of vegetation does not begin early, and 

 there is less danger of late frosts. A nursery must 

 not be placed in the midst of a lofty mass of forest ; 

 for being shut up on every side, the air circulates 



