REFORESTATION ON" THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 43 



are best where the soil is heavy or rocky or where it is desired to stir 

 it to a considerable depth ; the rake is good in loose soil where there 

 is not a heavy cover of grass and where deep cultivation is not neces- 

 sary; and the hazel hoe is good where the soil is not very rocky or 

 exceptionally heavy. 



Another seed planter (PI. IX, fig. 1) has recently been designed 

 which gives promise of being a good tool for this work where the sod 

 is not too heavy. Its construction in principle is that of a removable 

 soil-preparing tool such as the mattock, rake, or hoe, attached to a 

 hollow iron handle, which serves as a receptacle for seed. Through 

 a system of openings at the lower end of the handle which are opened 

 and closed by means of a sliding rod and lever operated by one hand 

 of the worker, the seed are distributed on the spot as it is prepared 

 with the rake or hoe attachment. By continuing the operation of 

 raking or hoeing, the seed can also be covered. In an experimental 

 trial it has proved more rapid than the common garden rakes, but 

 not quite so rapid as the corn planter. One man prepared 4,830 spots 

 per eight-hour day. When using small seed (lodgepole pine) it has 

 proved much more economical of seed than the corn-planter method 

 or that of scattering seed by hand on the seed spots. Its weight of 

 about 5 pounds when empty of seed is an advantage in preparing 

 spots in heavy or sodded soils, but becomes burdensome to the opera- 

 tor. Fairly clean seed is necessary, as the presence of foreign 

 matter larger than the seed itself is likely to prevent successful opera- 

 tion of the tool. 



In the trials which have been made of the tool some imperfections 

 have been noted. A portion of the large seed is likely to be cut. In 

 a trial given it with maritime-pine seed, about 5 per cent were 

 injured in this manner. Small seed are injured very little, if any. 

 The tool has not been found as satisfactory as the mattock in heavy 

 turf. It has been found that the seed can not be scattered satisfac- 

 torily at the same time as the tool is being drawn toward the opera- 

 tor, unless it is carefully handled, because the seed before striking 

 the ground is struck by the tool itself and scattered outside of the 

 prepared spot. 



Numerous corn planters have been tried, and there are several 

 objections to the use of those commonly found on the market. Some 

 have a soft snout, which is knocked out of shape by rocks and is con- 

 stantly in need of repair, some can not be adjusted to sow the proper 

 amount of seed or to sow it at the right depth, some are not strongly 

 enough constructed to hold together under the rough usage which 

 they get, and some are so heavy as to be cumbersome. 



