2y:> 



ception on the sides turned towards these points of the compass and the nor- 

 mal phenomena of loosening bark scales (for example, on plane trees) also 

 begin earlier and to a greater extent on those sides of the trees. (2) A 

 strong liming and supply of Thomas slag with a sufficient provision of other 

 nutritive substances. (3) Above all. however, those varieties of fruit should 

 be chosen, wdiich endure moor soil. Huntemann^ recommends the common 

 house plum, from practical experience. Of apples, the following have stood 

 the test : Bosb.ook's Beauty, Golden noble. Double pigeon. White winter 

 apple, Orleans, Parkers Pippin, Purple red Cousinot. The winter Yellow 

 Pearmain, Gravenstein, Prince and xA.lant apple should not be planted, since 

 they are too susceptible to frost and also to canker. According 

 to the experiences of Mr. Klitzing, a nurseryman, the following apple var- 

 ieties are adapted to cultivation on moor soils, — red Eiser apple, Burchardt's 

 Reinette, and Cludius' Autumn apple. Of pears, he recommends CharneuK 

 Delicious, St. Germain and New Poiteau. If cherries are tried at all, 

 sour varieties should be chosen rather than sweet ones. 



The Usefulness of the Spruce. 



In considering forest plantations on moist soil, we only reiterate our 

 opinion that it is a mistake to plant pines so extensively as is now done. The 

 example cited on p. 248 from the Liineburger moor .show's clearly enough 

 what disadvantages arise. If they are not so distinctly noticeable in other 

 places and especially if frost injuries do not appear so sharply, yet a weaken- 

 ed growth is always induced, which sooner or later becom.es evident. 



For the plains in northern Germany we should return to the spruce. 

 We use the term "return," for Conwentz- has actually proved that often, in 

 moor regions, spruce was the original covering. Even now in Pomerania 

 and Hanover, even on the Liineburger moor, original spruce woods are 

 often still in existence, and the various cases especially studied by Conwentz 

 give excellent indication that the spruce is still found in a developmental 

 stage, resembling the primeval forests, on soils where wide stretches are 

 covered with peat moss and the moisture in usual years makes access to the 

 soil impossible. 



This opportunity should be taken to consider the layering formations of 

 spruces, which at any rate may be found only in forests not touched by for- 

 estration and it is advisable on this account to preserve accounts of especially 

 good examples of increase by means of layering. Hence an illustration and 

 description of a spruce family should be given here, which has been observed 

 in the vicinity of the city Kragero on the south eastern coast of Norway 

 (see Fig. 33). Schiibeler^ describes it as follows. The parent trunk, which 

 stands at the foot of a hill, had a height of approximately 9.4 m. and, about 



1 Huntemann, Das Erkranken der Obstbaume auf Moorboden. Mitt. d. Ver. z. 

 Ford. d. Moorkultur. 1898, No. 7. 



- Conwentz, H., Die Fichte im norddeutschen Flachland. Berichte d. Deutsch. 

 Bot. Gesellschaft 1905, Part 5, p. 220. 



3 Schiibeler, F. C, Die Pflanzenwelt Norwegens. Christiania 1873-75, p. 164. 



