74 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE.—1918. 
The important point is to prevent ‘damping off’ or the encroachments of 
fungi, while allowing proper light and air to get to the seedlings and protecting 
them in their early stages from exti'emes of temperature. 
The fungi and other pests attacking the seedlings, and also the trees after 
planting, and steps to combat them, also the question of manures and their 
application to forestry operations, afford many points in which we need and hope 
for the assistance of science. 
Woman Labour. 
Attention might be called to the great possibilities offered to female labour 
in the work of seedling production. Women have great aptitude for gardening, 
and there are probably few directions where they can be more usefully employed 
in the near future than in supervising the various operations connected with 
nursery work. I hope that full facilities for training them will be instituted 
and proper opportunities afforded them for extending their usefulness in this 
direction. 
Afforestation. 
It is seldom appreciated how gravely forestry and planting have been 
depressed during the past generation by losses and mishaps in establishing 
the crop. 
Great opportunities lie open to science for assisting forestry to prevent or 
minimise losses from frost, drought, insects, fire, gales, and particularly fungi. 
I would remind you that in this country the extension of forestry as an 
industry is in its infancy, and in many directions offers almost a virgin field 
for scientific investigation. The problem is urgent for replanting the felled 
areas at the earliest moment, before the vigorous growth of grass and under- 
growth entail far greater expense in establishing the crop. Science already has 
pointed to a possible method of keeping down bracken by spraying with a 
weak solution of sulphuric acid. The burning over of the areas to produce 
pctash for the benefit of the young trees is worthy of extended investigation, as 
can be judged by observation of results secured where burning has been done 
effectively. 
Transplanting. 
When planting out, the proportion of losses varies greatly with each 
description of tree. Corsican Pine is admittedly one of the most difficult, 
although intelligent and careful nursery treatment reduces the losses materially. 
Transplanting every year from the one-year seedling is a good method to adopt, 
but usually somewhat expensive. 
A treatment I have found successful with Corsican Pine consists in taking 
the one-year seedlings from the seed-beds (but not separating them) late in 
April and transplanting them thickly but upright in lines. The following 
season the seedlings can be transplanted into lines, say fifteen to the 
yard. In addition to being transplanted yearly, they should be ‘slacked’ 
also at least once during the summer. Slacking consists in lifting them with 
a fork, and treading them in again without taking them out of the ground. 
Slacking is important also to check the growth of Douglas Fir, but damp weather 
should be chosen for the operation. 
I fear practical foresters often confuse cause and effect, and I will give 
an illustration. Yew and holly are probably two of the most uncertain trees 
to transplant. The foliage in both cases usvally dies back after transplanting. 
Many gardener's and foresters will tell you as a guide to results that if the 
leaves fall off the tree will live, but if the withered foliage is retained the 
tree will die. Professor J. B. Farmer, however, informs me that the retention 
of the withered o1 dead leaves is probably the cause of death, and that if these 
are removed few of the trees will die. 
I have always advocated as a result of observation that it is best to cut 
Lhuya plicata down to ground level after transplanting from the seed-bed. 
