NURSERY PRACTICE ON THE NATIONAL I OKKSTS. 23 



sown. The seed is covered by another man. Working too rapidly 

 should not be allowed, since speed induces carelessness with the aver- 

 age workman. The nurseryman himself should, if possible, be one 

 of the crew to manipulate the board, or he should select vi-vy reliable 

 men for the operation. 



Drills are also made with a concrete roller fitted with parallel, 

 evenly spaced cleats extending its entire length (PL III, fig. 2) and 

 with a large, heavy wooden rake whose teeth are spaced at the right 

 interval; and seed sowing is conducted by hand, with shotgun shell, 

 or with a tin can with a hole punched in the bottom. None of these 

 methods, however, are so rapid nor any more efficient than the first 

 described. 



Broadcast sowing. — In broadcasting, seed is scattered by hand over 

 the prepared beds. The total amount is not entirely distributed the 

 first time; a portion is reserved, so that the sower may again cover 

 the area and scatter it where there is a sparse distribution. Pro- 

 ficiency in broadcast sowing is obtained only after considerable ex- 

 perience, and even stands of seedlings are not so readily secured by 

 an inexperienced man as in drill sowing. When the sower is experi- 

 enced this method is rapid, one man when not covering the seed being 

 able to sow an area of from 4,000 to 9,000 square feet in a day. After 

 sowing the seed should be pressed into the soil by means of a wide. 

 flat board or by a light roller. The board or roller should be dry, 

 or the seed will stick to it. 



/Solving in flats and pots. — For southern California, where the cli- 

 matic conditions are especially trying on young planted trees, some 

 transplant stock is produced in individual paper pots. The seed are 

 sown in flats, and the seedlings transplanted into the pots, which are 

 later set out in the field. 



Several small holes are bored through the bottom of the flats, one- 

 half inch of small gravel is put in to allow for drainage, and then 

 4 or 5 inches of good loamy soil. This is packed in, the surface is 

 smoothed, and the seed is sown and covered. 



Sowing in flats has three advantages — very good drainage can be 

 provided for the seedlings, the depth of the covering of the seed 

 can be well regulated, and transplating is easier. On the other hand, 

 it is more expensive than raising stock in seed beds, because of the 

 added cost of flats, mixing of the soil, and more intensive care. It 

 has also been found with conifers that the stock produced has a very 

 inferior unbranched root system. 



The sowing of conifers directly in the pots has also been tried. 

 This scheme appears to have little to commend it. It is expensive. 

 the seedlings in a large number of pots are likely to die. necessitating 

 their resowing, and a thrifty class of stock is not produced in most 

 instances. 



