42 TUNISIA 



The seed spots are ordinarily 30 cm. by 30 cm. (12 by 12 inches) 

 and 30 cm. (12 inches) deep whether for sowing or planting. 

 For the olive larger spots are used, often 60 by 60 cm. (23 by 

 23 inches). 



Stock. — There is more sowing than planting, but if the 

 sowing is unsuccessful the soil-field seed spots are immediately 

 planted before they run wild. The aleppo pine is sown 7 to 8 

 seeds to the spot, and for fail places or very difficult ground 

 8-month seedKngs, grown in terra cotta pots, are fall planted. 

 At Hammam-Lif the ohve suckers were left two years in the 

 nursery and then field planted. The pinon and thuya are 

 sown. The oak is sown in bamboo tubes to protect it from 

 rodents. The carob-tree is sown. The eucalyptus is fall 

 planted after being grown in pots for 7 to 8 months. No trans- 

 planted stock is used. 



All field sowing or planting is mainly in the fall (December 

 to January), after the winter rains have commenced. The 

 soil is then in the best possible condition, so that the plants 

 can make sufficient headway to survive the dry summer months. 



Spacing. — In order to keep the expense of forestation as 

 low as possible wide spacing is used. The seed spots are usually 

 irregularly located, so as to give the best possible chances for 

 success and while the spacing is nominally 1.8 to 2.4 metres 

 (6 to 8 feet) in practice there are rarely more than 250 spots 

 per acre. 



Field Technique. — On very dry situations the olive shoots 

 may have to be watered, when planted, in order to give them 

 a start, but of course this is out of the question for ordinary 

 forest plantations. After sowing or planting, the surface is left 

 7.6 to 12.6 centimetres (3 to 5 inches) below the soil surface, in 

 order to hold the rains and let the water sink in. Yet on side 

 hills many of these small spots are washed level with soil after 

 the first winter rains, and this leaves the plants too deeply im- 

 bedded. Where losses from drought are anticipated, two or 

 three small rocks are placed at each side of the plant to con- 

 serve the moisture and prevent surface drying. 



At Zaghouan loss has been experienced because the center of 



