REFORESTATION ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 27 



drift in and partly or entirely cover the plant. The drifting in of 

 leaves has caused considerable loss where the planting has been done 

 under a stand of aspen. 



This method is the most applicable to all species and sites; it 

 removes part of the competing growth of sod; and it (or a modifica- 

 tion of it called " side-hole method ") will undoubtedly continue to 

 be the one in most general use in the future. It is only fairly rapid, 

 from 250 to 350 trees per man per day in rough country constituting 

 an average day's planting, and there is the possibility of poor plant- 

 ing if the crew is not careful to spread the roots during the operation. 



In the side-hole method the trees are set against one side of the 

 hole instead of in the middle. It is a little more rapid than when the 

 trees are set in the middle of the hole ; and, experimentally, in oper- 

 ations on the Siuslaw National Forest and at the Fort Valley Experi- 

 ment Station, it has proved almost as successful. It can not be given 

 unqualified indorsement, however, without further trial, though with 

 the ordinary planting crew it will probably prove just as successful 

 in the majority of operations as planting in the center of the hole. 



CONE METHOD. 



The cone method is another modification of the square-hole 

 method. The square hole is dug as in the other method; a mound 

 of earth is then built up by the planter in the bottom of the hole, 

 and the roots of the plant are spread over this mound. Thus they 

 come in contact with a greater amount of soil, from which moisture 

 . and other plant nourishment can be drawn. After spreading the 

 roots, the soil is filled in as in the square-hole method. 



This method unquestionably has merit for planting under very 

 unfavorable conditions ; for, if it is properly conducted, the losses are 

 usually smaller than where other methods are used. On the other 

 hand, it has disadvantages. It is not applicable to species which do 

 not have a ramifying root system; unless given close supervision, 

 the average workman will not be particular to form a good cone 

 or to spread the roots well over it; and it is slow and expensive. 

 Under average conditions one man will plant only from 200 to 250 

 trees per day. 



PLOWING AND MATTOCK METHOD. 



Single furrows are plowed from 8 to 10 feet apart, and holes 

 are then dug with a mattock to receive the plants. It has been found 

 that just about twice as rapid progress can be made as where no 

 plowing is done, both in digging holes and in planting, because 

 digging is easier in the broken sod and more loose dirt is provided 

 for filling in around the trees. 



