18 MASSACHUSETTS TREE PLANTER 



Where the area to be protected is of considerable extent, 

 it may be wise to have a man keep watch of, or patrol, the 

 plantation during the dry seasons in each year. Unless the 

 tract contains several hundred acres or more the cost of such 

 a patrol would be excessive, where paid for outright. But 

 small landowners are often so situated that they can keep 

 watch of their plantations themselves, without great incon- 

 venience, thus obtaining fire protection at small cost. When 

 the owner has become convinced that he can secure adequate 

 fire protection for his prospective forest plantation, and not 

 until then, is he ready to think seriously of planting. 



THE COST OF FOREST PLANTING 



The expense of establishing a forest plantation falls under 

 two heads : 



(a) The cost of the planting stock delivered on the 

 ground. 



(b) The cost of actually setting out the plants. 



(a) The Cost of the Planting Stock 

 There are several ways in which planting stock can be 

 obtained. Seed may be gathered or purchased and the seed- 

 lings raised in a nursery by the planter ; or the seedlings 

 may be bought outright from a nursery. Wild seedlings 

 may be dug up in the woods and planted. In the case of 

 chestnut and red oak, the nuts and acorns can be directly 

 planted, greatly lessening the amount expended for stock and 

 also in planting it. Then, the cost of seed and seedlings 

 varies with the different species, white pine being more 

 expensive than the hardwoods. Moreover, prices of forest 

 tree seeds and seedlings differ greatly from year to year. 

 For these reasons, no attempt will here be made to give 

 the exact cost of obtaining planting stock. It may safely 

 be stated, however, that where seedlings are to be set out 

 6x6 feet apart, requiring 1210 plants per acre, the cost 

 of obtaining planting stock will range from $2.50 to $6.00 

 per acre. The upper limit will be approached when nursery 



