458 Transactions of the Ajiebican Institute. 



FoKEST Tree Culture, 

 Mr, J. Greenleaf, Charlestown, Ohio, writing for information con- 

 cerning the cultivation of cliestnut trees, says : I have a piece of 

 natural chestnut land, which is too stony to cultivate, excepting at a 

 good deal of expense, I have tried two or three times to start chest- 

 nut trees from the nut, but have as often failed, I would like to 

 know the best time to plant, and mode of cultivating the first two 

 years. 



Mr. D. B. Bruen. — Great care must be taken of the seed, in order 

 to insure its germination when planted. If once suffered to become 

 very dry they will not grow. I consider it the best plan to put them 

 under a covering of earth, and then lay a board over the place. 



Mr. A. S, Fuller, — I Vould put them in sand two or three feet 

 below the surface, just as I would so many peach pits. In the spring 

 plant the nuts in rows three or four feet apart, and four or five inches 

 apart in the rows. When they come up, cultivate the young plants 

 very much as you would corn. The next spring they will be ready 

 to transplant. In order to do this successfully, about half of the tap- 

 root should be cut off. This will cause the tree to throw out a multi- 

 tude of roots near the surface, where they can draw the most nutri- 

 ment from the soil. This cutting off the tap root will be found of 

 great advantage in transplanting any kind of forest trees. 



Mr, Wm. Lawton. — In this connection I would recommend the 

 horse-chestnut, quite a different tree from the ordinary chestnut that 

 we have been talking about, but much more easily raised from the 

 seed. I have derived great advantage, in growing trees of all kinds, 

 in placing a few flat stones npon the soil around the trees. The 

 stones act as a mulch to keep the ground moist and promote the 

 growth of the trees. I have seen very beneficial results from this 

 plan. For instance, in the light soil near Naliant, where peaches do 

 not generally do well, I have seen peach trees kept strong and thrifty 

 by thus rudely paving the ground over their roots. It is also an 

 excellent plan with plantations of small trees. 



Another correspondent, Mr, S. Blodgett, of Union, Cass county, 

 ISTebraska, says, regarding the raising of forest trees in that region : 

 " What we lack here, in Nebraska, more than anything else is trees. 

 There is no denying that timber is scarce, with a prospect of being 

 scarcer. It seems to me that the people should be waked up to the 

 importance of providing for the future. They should also be taught 



