SYLVICULTURE. 



BO' that tlie seedling stands between them. This is a good method 

 on ground where frost is to be dreaded, and is used for Asli, Alder 

 and Water Birch one to three years old. 



I. Mound Planting (Manteuffel). Small mounds are made con- 

 sisting of rich nursery soil to be carried in baskets to the plantations. 

 Tlie plant is placed into the mound, its roots touching the vegetable 

 mould underneath. The mound is covered with sods to prevent 

 erosion. The method works v.'e\l on very dry and hard ground. 

 About 100 plants are planted per day and per man after this method. 

 Its advantages are: 



I. The vegatable cover of the soil, by its disintegration, furnishes 

 food for the rootlets. 



II. The quality of the soil surrounding the roots is very good. 



III. The soil in the mounds is kept moist with condensed atmos- 

 pheric vapor, owing to its greater porosity. 



IV. The planter is not likely to plant the seedling too deep. 

 The method is also applied on very wet soil. The mounds may 



be replaced by ridges. Experiments have shown that planting in 

 mounds does better in years of drought than planting in holes. 



Modifications of the Manteuffel method are in common use. 

 Ordinary soil dug out at the planting site may be used to make the 

 mound; or, where there are heavy sods, a sod is turned upside down 

 and left to rot for a year. The mound thus made is rich in plant 

 food resulting from the disintegration of root fibres and vegetable 

 matter. 



Disadvantages of mound planting are: 



a. The mounds are easily washed away on slopes unless under 

 cover of mother trees. 



b. The best soil is washed out if the mound is not covered with 

 sods, stones or brush. 



c. Insects and mice find hiding and breeding places^ In the sod- 

 covered mounds. 



d. Mound planting is very expensive. 



J. Ballplanting, with Charles Heyer's hollow cylinder spade. 



The cylinder spade can be used to best advantage on binding soil. 

 It lifts the plant (seedlings, notably conifers one or two years old) 

 from the nursery without loss of roots and prepares for it a hole on 

 the ground to be planted having the exact form of the ball of dirt 

 adhering to the roots. 



The method is particularly safe and seems particularly adapted 

 for prairie planting since it protects the seedling before, during and 

 after the act of planting; since it prevents the seedling from loosing 



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