SHORTLEAF PINE IN VIRGINIA. 39 



be made in place of using young plants. Seed should be planted 

 in spots six feet apart in well loosened soil and lightly covered, 

 not deeper than one-half inch with earth. One of the two follow- 

 ing methods can be used. If the tract can be plowed, shallow 

 furrows can be laid off at intervals of six feet with a shovel plow 

 or small turning plow, and the seed dropped at six-foot intervals 

 in the furrows and lightly covered with a weeding hoe. If a plow 

 cannot be used, the earth can be loosened with a light grub hoe 

 over a spot six or eight inches square, and the seed planted and 

 lightly covered in the middle of this spot. If the soil is either 

 dry or light and sandy the planter should step on the spot after 

 covering to bring the earth in close contact- with the seed and in- 

 sure germination. Set poles should be used to keep the rows 

 straight. 



The seed of shortleaf pine has a low germinating percentage, 

 seldom more than forty-five per cent., and a number of seed, 

 twelve or fifteen, should therefore be dropped in a hole. As many 

 as can easily be held between the thumb, index finger and second 

 finger will insure a stand. There are about 50,000 seed to a pound, 

 so that a pound, if carefully handled, will plant an acre. The 

 smallness of the seeds, however, makes them difficult to handle, 

 and an inexperienced planter will usually drop more than are 

 necessary for obtaining a stand. -Planting should be done at any 

 time between the middle of February and the first of April, 

 whenever the soil is in suitable condition. Protection from fire 

 and cattle is absolutely necessary until the trees are three or four 

 inches in diameter and the bark thick enough to afford reasonable 

 protection, which will require from ten to fifteen years. 



Returns from Plantations. If such plantations are carefully 

 thinned their yield should greatly exceed that of natural stands. 



The cost of planting an acre and of carrying the investment 

 is calculated on the basis of a land value of $10 an acre, with five 

 per cent, compound interest, which includes an allowance of one 

 per cent, an acre a year for taxes and protection. This land value 

 is low for soils which will produce good shortleaf pine. The prices 

 at which stumpage must be sold to net four per cent, on the in- 

 vestment are shown in Table 19. 



Cost of land $10 00 



Cost of seed one pound per acre 2 50 



Cost of planting per acre 1 50 



Total initial cost of investment $14 00 



