106 Forest Club Annual 



4. The pipe line should have union connections at intervals 

 of approximately 100 feet and at the junction of each branch with 

 another one. These will save the necessity of digging up the 

 entire line when there is a part to be mended. 



5. There should be a plug or preferably a gate valve at the 

 lower end of each branch of the pipe line. These will enable the 

 washing out of the pipes in case they become clogged and also 

 their draining for the winter. 



The necessity of shading seedlings has been given consider- 

 able attention in all nurseries and it has developed that the need 

 for it is not nearly so great as was formerly thought. This is 

 particularly true of western yellow pine which has been grown 

 more extensively than any other species in Forest Service nur- 

 series. It is now grown at the majority of these without shade. 

 The same nonnecessity of shade has also been found true, al- 

 though to a lesser extent, with other species. This is particularly 

 true if the seeds are sown in the fall so that the plants have made 

 a good initial growth before the advent of the most trying sum- 

 mer weather. 



For shading, the high type of shade frame is less in favor 

 than formerly. It is now used at only three of the nurseries. It 

 has cheapness of construction and some other features to com- 

 mend it, but from the general standpoint of manipulation of 

 shade, preparation of beds, and protection against rodents and 

 birds, it is not so effectual as the low type of frame. 



The broadcasting of seedbeds is more general than formerly. 

 It is thought that more stock of a better form can be produced 

 per square foot through this practice than from sowing in drills. 

 Depending on the species, time of sowing, and region, the 

 densities striven for per square foot are from 150 to 250 if the 

 seedlings are to remain one year in the seedbed and about half 

 this if they are to remain two years. 



The losses from transplanting are in general less than ten 

 per cent, although occasionally they run considerably higher. Fall 

 transplanting has proven unsuccessful at every nursery where it 

 has been tried due to either winter killing or heaving. It is a 

 practice which is strongly out of favor. Spring transplanting is 

 followed in all Forest Service nurseries, and with this it has de- 

 veloped that the earlier in the spring the operation is accomplished 

 after the soil can be worked, the less will be the losses resulting 

 from it. A month's delay has doubled the mortality per cent. 



In transplanting, the old slow methods of hand work or the 

 use of dibble have been entirely abandoned. Transplant boards 

 are used at all nurseries. These are of two types : The familiar 



