SYLVICULTURE. 



Paragiaph XXXV. Raising and planting hardwood seedlings on 

 open ground. 



Beech: LTsiial age of plants fit for use, two to five years. 

 Transplants rarely used. Ball plants very successful. Bunch plant- 

 ing best, especially for underplanting. Do not cut stemlet to the 

 ground and avoid pruning. Planting in open hardly successful. 

 Beech best for underplanting. Almost light demander on poor soil. 

 Beech is exacting (good soil and moisture). Instruments used are 

 hoe, spiral spade, cleft irons. 



Black Locust: Seeds should be planted two to two and one-half 

 inches deep, an exception from the rule considering the small size of 

 the seed. Drills eight inches apart. Germinating percentage of seeds 

 very high. Seedlings are fit for planting when one year old. Usually, 

 however, they are left in the seed bed for two years, and are then 

 ])lanted directly in the open. The planting of stumps and fall 

 planting are strongly recommended. Plantations handicapped by 

 twigboring moth (Ecdytolopha species) and by voles. Locust grown 

 in the open is inferior to forest grown Locust. 



Linden: Is usually planted in the open as a transplant three 

 to four years old, or as a ball plant two to three years old. Spring 

 planting. Good soil required. Pruning of branches a necessity. 

 Plantations in Biltmore made in '98 on splendid soil, but without 

 cover overhead, were slow to develop. 



Oaks: The nursery treatment difi'ers greatly according to local 

 likes and forestry authorities relied upon. The treatment of the 

 tap root is a continuous point of dispute. Manteuffel cuts the tap 

 root one and one-half inches below ground (just as the voles did 

 in Biltmore nurseries). Buttlar ties a knot into the root. Alemann 

 forbids any crippling of the tap root, making an extra cleft 

 in the planting hole to receive the tap root. Levret prevents the 

 development of a tap root by placing the acorns on small macadam, 

 covering them with one inch of dirt. The ground underneath the 

 macadam must be hard. 



Large areas of Oak planted in Xortliern Germany with the tap 

 root cut off prove the success of Manteufi'd's method. The hollow 

 borer cannot be used. Trimming of branches is all right. Roots 

 should be pruned, after Fiirst, with a sharp spade at six inches 

 below ground in the second spring. Spring planting is best. Some 

 planters remove the first germ of the acorn ("offgerming") with 

 a view to stopping the development of the tap root — very costly. 

 Stump plants do very well, especially in the coppice woods. Usually 



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