36 BULLETIN' 479, T. s. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



phlcea seed, which, like oilier junipers,* ordinarily lies over for a yeai 

 if sown in the spring without bring previously treated. 



At the Fort Bayard Nursey fair germination is secured with the 

 seed of Jimiperus monosperma by removing the hull and then im- 

 mersing the seed in boiling water for 5 seconds. At the old Garden 

 City Nursery good germination was secured with Juniperus virgim 

 iana by removing the hulls, soaking the seed in warm water for from 

 l* to 4 hours, and sowing in the fall. 



CARE OF SEEDLINGS THE FIRST YEAR. 



The care of the stock from the time of germination until the 

 plants are ready for field planting has much to do with the mor- 

 tality, the development of tops and roots, and the final success of 

 the field planting. Operations should be directed toward develop- 

 ing the type of plant most suitable for field planting and toward 

 growing the greatest possible number of these in the allotted space. 

 Wide experience in the United States and Europe has fully demon- 

 strated that plants with stocky tops, thick stems and compact-growing 

 shoots, and compact root systems composed of many lateral but 

 not extremely long, fibrous roots, are more likely to succeed in field 

 planting, particularly under inhospitable conditions, than plants 

 with greatly developed tops and long root systems with few laterals. 

 Shading and watering are two of the most important means of pro- 

 ducing such plants and of keeping down the percentage of loss in 

 the nursery. 



SHADING. 



The effect of shading is to lower the temperature and increase the 

 relative humidity of the air below the shade frames, diminish evap- 

 oration from the soil and plants, increase the height growth of the 

 seedlings, and lessen the amount of watering necessary. It also 

 prolongs the growing period of the plants into the autumn longer 

 than is always desirable, subjecting them to clanger from early 

 frosts and sometimes causing the seedlings to reach a size greater 

 than that considered best for transplanting. 



The necessity of shading is greatest during the first season of 

 the plants' growth. They are then small and tender and may be 

 damaged by continuous intense sunlight. Their density results in 

 considerable competition for moisture, and the roots are not well 

 enough developed at the beginning of the season to secure moisture 

 at a considerable depth. 



The necessity and amount of shading varies with the species, soil. 

 and region. Some species, such as Norway and Engehnann spruce, 

 appear to need considerable shade at all nurseries; others, such as 

 Douglas fir, will thrive without shade in some regions but demand 



