NURSERY PRACTICE ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 



Table 2. — Area 1 of transplant beds, in square feet, necessary to product 



1,000,000 transplants yearly. 





Length of time 



in transplant beds. 



Bpachigs, in Incl , En bran iplanl b«1 . 





lby 5. 



l by 0. 





3 by 1. 





Area In square feet.' 





34,722 

 69,444 



41,00(1 

 83,332 



111,110 













1 Add 25 per cent in seed beds and from 10 to 20 per cent in transplant beds to allow tor 

 2 1 aere= 43,560 square feet. 



Because of differences in topography, in the characteristics of the 

 soil, and possibly in the requirements of the species, the form of a 

 nursery will vary as the location varies. Generally speaking, an 

 area either square or rectangular, with the two adjoining sides not 

 differing much in length, is the best form. The topography of 

 the area often makes it impossible to lay out a nursery according to 

 a preconceived plan. The necessity of following the base of a hill 

 or avoiding rocky patches of ground may make regularity of outline 

 inadvisable. The nursery should not be made up of a number of 

 small individual areas. They may not admit of plowing and culti- 

 vating and may necessitate preparation by hand, a slow and expen- 

 sive operation. Two or three larger areas widely separated do not 

 make a good nurse^ because of the time lost in passing from one 

 section to the other. 



If uniform soil conditions exist throughout the nursery, there 

 need be little choice as to the location of seed and transplant beds, 

 except as a matter of convenience. Where uniformity does not exist, 

 it is advisable to locate the seed beds in the portion having the better 

 soil. Seedlings come up in close stands in the seed beds, so that 

 they make greater demands upon the soil and are more subject to ill 

 effects from poor soil than transplants, which have better conditions 

 of growth. Where differences in soil, protection, or other conditions 

 exist in the nursery area, it is also desirable to arrange the beds so 

 that the hardiest species will occupy the most trying situations. 

 Thus western yellow pine can be grown to better advantage in stony 

 portions or those most likely to dry out rapidly than can spruce. 

 and spruce and fir should be grown where they would have 

 advantage of any natural shade. This phase of nursery practice v. 

 not of great importance, however, since the conditions can be so 

 changed artificially that any of the species can be made to thrive i 

 any part of the nursery. Where it is necessary to shade either tin 

 seedlings or transplants, the beds should have their long axes eas 

 and west. 



