82 Forests and Trees 



assured, and the kind of soil and location they prefer is 

 evident, both from the place where they grow and their 

 condition. Then, too, as they have grown in the shade, 

 they have been pruned by nature from the seedling stage 

 onward, and usually have clean straight trunks. Their dis- 

 advantage is that, having been grown from seed germi- 

 nated on top of the ground and always protected from the 

 wind, their root system is spread out widely on the surface. 

 The greater part of the small root fibres, which alone bear 

 the root hairs that absorb moisture from the soil, are at 

 the outer rim of the root system and somewhat distant 

 from the trunk. In digging, these are cut away and the 

 tree thus has to produce fresh ones before it can establish 

 itself in its new location. This makes trees from the woods 

 more likely to die in transplanting, and slower to establish 

 themselves than the same species grown in a nursery. 

 Cultivation and frequent moving keeps the root system of 

 trees in the nursery more compact, and thus less of it is 

 removed when they are transplanted. With care, however, 

 good results can be secured from forest trees. They should 

 be planted somewhat deeper than they grew naturally, 

 and severely pruned back so that the leaf system will not 

 evaporate more moisture than the root system can absorb. 

 This cutting back of the top also lessens their resistance 

 to the wind and makes them less likely to be loosened be- 

 fore they become rooted. It is a wise precaution to stake 

 any trees in exposed positions to prevent swaying. 



Nursery stock will establish itself more quickly, grow 

 faster for the first two years and has generally a more 



