290 SOILS 



planting forest trees to prevent or check erosion, if 

 the land is not too rougn or stony, it is best first to 

 plow the land deeply. Most tree seeds are benefited 

 by partial shade the first year and may be sown 

 with a field crop, as peas, oats, or other grain. 

 These seeds may be of such quick-growing trees as 

 white maple, loblolly pine, elm, green and white- ash, 

 and black locust. The seeds should be gathered 

 as soon as ripe and sown immediately. From three 

 to five bushels of the winged seeds snould be sown, 

 and others in proportion according to size. It is 

 best to sow each kind separately and thickly enough 

 to secure a dense stand. The quick-growing trees, 

 as elm, soft maple, and ash, are not as valuable for 

 timber as hardwood trees. Black locust and loblolly 

 pine are among the most useful trees for this pur- 

 pose. Catalpa speciosa and chestnut may also be 

 used to advantage. 



Transplanting seedlings is more expensive than 

 seeding and the results are more or less uncertain, 

 so it should be done only when seeding is impracti- 

 cable. Soft-wooded sorts, as the poplars, box elder, 

 also the catalpa, are most commonly propagated by 

 cuttings. The cuttings should be 13 to 16 inches 

 long, of two- or three-year-old wood, and should be 

 taken in late winter. The lower ends are laid in 

 water until planting. They are planted most 

 rapidly with a dibble and so deep that only two 

 or three buds are above ground. 



If trees for transplanting are to be grown from 

 seed make beds 3 to 4 feet wide in a rich mellow 

 soil ; cover the seeds lightly, and mulch with forest 

 leaves until they have germinated. Shade the beds 

 by piling brush and boughs upon them, or by build- 

 ing lath roofs over them, an open space the width of 

 a lath being left between laths. The seedlings are 



