78 ALGERIA 



soil preparation, preferably in strips or spots. Owing to a 

 series of past failures there is universal prejudice against the 

 shipment of any plant material except when ball plants can be 

 economically used. Consequently small local nurseries are in- 

 variably preferred where water for irrigation can be secured. 



Methods.^^ — The planting of aleppo pine is very difficult 

 because the high evaporation seems to dry out the seedling be- 

 fore the roots can take hold. Nearly all the plantations made 

 where plants with bare roots were employed have miscarried. 

 Planting appears to succeed only when ball plants are used. 

 On the other hand, the direct seeding generally succeeds. Seed 

 spots are usually made 0.40 m. square (16 inches) and 2 to 3 metres 

 (2 to 3 yards) apart; a small pinch of seed is sown and covered 

 over with 2 to 3 centimetres (0.8 to 1.2 inches) of fine soil. 

 After sowing, the seed spot is covered with an armful of brush. 

 It is usually a good plan (when the slope permits), to open the 

 spots in advance and let the air percolate the soil for several 

 months. The spot is filled up with earth when seeded. 



The cedar usually succeeds by direct seeding on bare soil 

 if it is light and not packed; but it cannot succeed where there 

 is grass or weeds. In order to reforest blanks or openings in 

 a forest of cedar, the ground should be wounded before the 

 seed falls in the autumn. This can be readily done by opening 

 strips 30 to 40 centimetres (12 to 16 inches) wide and 15 to 

 20 centimetres (5.9 to 7.8 inches) deep. If there are no seed 

 trees, strips such as these can be sown by hand and the seed 

 covered. 



The oaks (cork, holm, zeen, etc.) give good results either by 

 direct seeding or by plantations. The latter method is used 

 when, as is often the case, there is danger from rabbits, birds, 

 mice, or rats. For the direct seeding, seed spots are made in 

 the same manner as for aleppo pine; 10 or more acorns are 

 then sown and covered with 4 to 5 centimetres (about 2 inches) 

 of soil and an armful of brush. For plantations, one-year seed- 

 lings are usually employed. It has been pretty definitely proved 



' ^^ Much of the information on forestation was furnished by V. Boutilly, "le 

 chef du Service du Reboisement." 



