97 



exposed in the stilt-like growth are very sensitive. Tf this is true, less extreme 

 cases Yi^ill have to be taken into consideration and a further warning be 

 given ; when possible the root body must be guarded from complete exposure. 

 When roots are partially exposed their bark is liable to be broken on the 

 upper side by pedestrians, with the result that much stronger annual rings 

 develop on the under side which is protected from such injuries by the earth. 

 The cultivation of seedlings of the different species of our common coni- 

 fers under the same conditions gives the best demonstration of these root 

 systems. Nobbe^ carried his experiments out with the following re- 

 sults : — Six months after sowing, the pines had 3135 root fibres with a total 

 length of 12 meters, the spruces 253 fibres, all together 2 meters in length and 

 the fir, 134 fibres with a total length of i meter. In one year, in fertilized 

 sandy soil, the tap-roots of the pine seedling penetrated almost one meter 

 deep, while the spruce and fir, under absolutely the same experimental con- 

 ditions, went down only one third as far. At the same time the young pine 

 developed five series of roots, the spruce four and the fir three. In decid- 

 uous trees, oaks and beeches. Tharandt's experiments showed that in the 

 same way they form even in the first year a widely branched root system with 

 tap roots nearly a meter long. 



Spruce and fir with their weaker root apparatus, which almost im- 

 mediately spreads out flat, need a moist soil, while the pine can do without 

 moisture, in fact, easily suffers from it. In seedling plantations, where fir 

 and spruce thrive, the pine very often shows pathological resin ducts in the 

 wood of its young trunk. The deep growth of the pine also explains its so- 

 called "contentment" and its healthy growth in almost sterile sand. Like 

 the lupin it understands how to meet its need for water and food from the 

 deep layers of the soil but it demands good drainage. 



This natural advantage of a tap root penetrating at once to great depths 

 is made use of only where seeds are planted in forests without necessity for 

 transplantation. In the controversy in forestry circles as to the best methods 

 of planting, in considering the pine, we would always place ourselves on the 

 side of those favoring sowing in the permanent place. For the spruce and 

 fir, we consider transplanting from the seed bed to be more advantageous. 

 In any event the method of seeding is not the only factor in a healthy devel- 

 opment, but soil and position are often decisive. We can not consider ad- 

 visable the present endeavor to plant pines everywhere, because they give the 

 quickest and therefore the best return from the soil. In our own forests 

 comparisons of the trees in deep lying or marshy places vvith those on free, 

 dry regions show that in the marshy localities there is an impoverished growth 

 and often a premature dropping of the needles, and that in hilly sandy soil, 

 wnth deep lying ground water, the trees develop to their full strength, even 

 l;eing well-preserved when their roots are exposed on stilts. Rechinger^ 



1 Dobner's Botanik fiir Forstmanner. IV Edition, revised by Fr. Nobbe, Berlin. 

 Paul Parey. 1882, p. 130. , mno t „ qq- 



2 Rechinger, Bot. Beobacht. in Schur. cit. Bot Jahresber. 1902, 1, p. 66,- 



