34 FORESTATION, SAND HILLS NEBKASKA AND KANSAS. 



wide, according to the spacing desired and the size of the stems to be 

 fitted into the notches. When all notches have been filled with 

 seedlings the latter are held in place by a thin strip of wood fastened 

 over the stems. The threading is all done on tables, which have 

 shields to protect the trees from the drying wind. 



The trenches are made with a special tool, which has a heavy blade 

 26 inches long and 7 inches wide, and a handle. It is handled as a 

 heavy spade would be in heavy soil; the weight of the worker is 

 thrown on its upper edge, while the handle is moved back and forth 

 and the blade worked into the soil, to a depth of from 6 to 10 inches, 

 depending on the length of the roots of the seedlings. 



The transplant board is placed on the edge of the trench thus made, 

 with the roots of all the seedlings hanging in the opening. The two 

 men engaged in planting then break in the walls of the trench with a 

 tamp which packs the soil against the roots. When this has been 

 partly completed the transplant board is taken away, and the earth 

 is brought up to the level of the surrounding ground. The trenches 

 may be 5 or more inches apart, according to the space desired between 

 rows in the transplant beds. 



The crew of five men may transplant 20,000 2-year seedlings per 

 day or 16,000 1-year seedlings. The latter are more difficult to handle 

 because they are smaller. For this reason it is doubtful that 1-1 

 transplants of such species as Norway pine are as cheap as older ones. 

 Not only is a greater time required for transplanting, but some trees 

 will be lost by being covered with soil at the time of transplanting or 

 later. However, some economy for the nursery as a whole will have 

 been gained if the plan of closer spacing, tried in 1912, is successful. 

 A spacing of 1 by 5 inches was used experimentally for 1-year seed- 

 lings, while in the past, with 2-year seedlings, 1J by 6 inches has 

 seemed necessary. 



Transplant beds are weeded and watered as carefully as seed beds. 

 In addition, they are cultivated after each watering, a 2-toothed rake 

 being used to scratch between the rows. Shade has not been used 

 on transplant beds and probably will not be unless it is found neces- 

 sary as a part of a gradual hardening process by which the water 

 supply will be reduced somewhat, and the trees are given a very light 

 shade. 



A year in the transplant beds does not materially increase the 

 height of most species, but makes them much sturdier. Thus a 

 2-year seedling is taller and much more slender than a 1-1 transplant 

 if given equal opportunities for growth. The transplant, however, 

 has a much better proportion of roots to top. The breaking of the 

 longer roots at the tune of transplanting seems to have the effect of 

 stimulating the growth of a number of short roots, just as damage to 

 the leader of a tree's stem will induce the growth of a number of 

 branches. 



