12 Growing Forest Trees in Western Nebraska 



Colorado Blue Spruce Austrian Pine 



Norway Spruce Norway Pine 



Douglas Fir 



PREPARATION OF LAND. The planting began April 22, 1907. 

 The land for this planting was broken during the summer of 

 1906 and given, thoro tillage. It Was plowed in the fall about 

 eight inches deep. In the following spring it was disked thoroly, 

 harrowed, and inarked for planting. All the cultivated land 

 planted has been prepared in a similar manner, in order to have 

 the soil moist arid In the best possible condition at fie time of 

 planting. No preparation was given to the soil in the canyon 

 tract, excepting to break a furrow for setting some plats of 

 trees. The methods of planting were probably somewhat more 

 careful than would be used ordinarily by a farmer. 



THE STOCK. The trees ordered were of the best quality that 

 could be produced, tho they often arrived in very poor condition. 

 Some had been damaged by being kept too warm after being dug 

 the fall previous and others had become too dry while being 

 shipped. Of the common deciduous species, one-year-old seed- 

 lings were planted except cottonwood and the poplars, which 

 were one-year-old rooted cuttings. We endeavored to avoid 

 getting stock pulled from swamp land or river islands. Of the 

 conifers three-year-old transplants were used. 



MANNER OF PLANTING. Two methods of planting were fol- 

 lowed, the "slit" method and the "hole" method. The former 

 method consists of making a slit in the soil with a spade, stick- 

 ing the roots of the tree into the slit and pressing the soil firmly 

 about the roots with the spade. The latter method consists of 

 digging a hole with the spade, setting the tree, and packing the 

 soil about the roots with the hands and feet. In some instances 

 where it had not been possible to summer-till the land and the 

 soil was dry, water was poured into the holes before the trees 

 were planted. The trees were carried either in a bucket of mud 

 and water, or wrapped in a wet burlap sack. The tree was taken 

 from the bucket or sack and set into the soil quickly so that the 

 roots could not become dry. Great care wns taken to have trees 

 set a few inches deeper than they were in the nursery and to 

 pack the soil firmly about the roots. 



STAND SECURED. The percentage of trees that lived during the 

 first season after planting depended on the variety of the trees, 

 the condition of the trees when planted, the condition of the 

 soil, and the weather during and following the planting. Some 

 varieties are much more likely to grow as they are not so 



