46 BULLETIN 475, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



REPAIRS AND EXTRA EQUIPMENT. 



That all tools be kept in good working order is essential because 

 it increases the amount and efficiency of the work. A portable forge 

 with an^anvil and a grindstone or a supply of files should, if possible, 

 be kept in the planting camps for this purpose. A number of extra 

 tools should also be kept on hand for use while others are being 

 repaired. If pails or baskets are used by the planters for carrying 

 the trees, a surplus of these should also be kept on hand. 



CAUSES OF FAILURE AND LOSSES, AND METHODS OF PREVENTION. 



Some losses must be expected, but these will be materially reduced 

 when the species, class of stock, sites, methods, and seasons most 

 suitable have been more thoroughly worked out. The only factor 

 that it will never be possible to foresee or guard against is unfavor- 

 able weather. The weather being left out of account, the important 

 factors upon which the success of plantations depend are as follows : 



Species and Class of Stock. 



The safest guide in the choice of species is the trees already 

 growing on the site or on similar sites in the same locality. The 

 introduction of other species or the extension of natural range is 

 always accompanied by high probability of failure. So long as there 

 are in the aggregate such large areas in need of reforestation, the 

 best plan at present is to rely upon the native species. The introduc- 

 tion of others should not be attempted unless upon a very small scale 

 for experimental purposes. While thriving at first, such species 

 may after a few years become very inferior in form and rate of 

 growth. 



In some instances seedlings have given better results than trans- 

 plants in field planting and vice versa. Time will undoubtedly 

 develop the fact that on some, probably the better sites in the more 

 favorable regions, seedlings will succeed admirably. As their use 

 will reduce costs, they should be planted under such conditions. Upon 

 by far the greater portion of the area needing planting, however, 

 two or three year old transplant stock, by virtue of its better developed 

 root systems and somewhat dwarfed stocky tops, offers much better 

 assurance of success in field planting. Even with such stock con- 

 sistently heavy grading should be followed to eliminate the weak 

 trees. 



Source of Seed. 



The source of seed also exerts its influence upon the final success 

 of the plantation. Experiments have demonstrated clearly that stock 

 from seed locally collected succeeds better than that produced from 



