NURSERY PRACTICE ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 45 



Root pinning is sometimes practiced during the first season Unit 

 the plants arc in seed beds, but ordinarily it should be done about 

 the time growth is to start, or shortly after, during the second or 

 ;hird season. This gives the plants ample time to recuperate before 

 ;he end of the season. There is little doubt that by root pruning 

 )lants can be produced which w T ill prove more suitable for field 

 Wanting under adverse conditions than unpruned seedling stock. 

 3n the other hand, it is not certain that it will produce stock as 

 uitable for planting on the poorest sites as transplants, and it re- 

 mits in an increase in the mortality of the seedlings. To decrease 

 he possibility of losses the beds should be watered heavily before 

 ind again immediately after the operation. 



TRANSPLANTING. 



In transplanting, seedlings are transferred from seed beds to other 

 teds, where they are given a uniform spacing and much more grow- 

 ng space. 



OBJECT AND ADVISABILITY. 



Transplanting, like root pruning, has for its object the production 

 f stock which is most likely to succeed in field planting, particularly 

 n inhospitable sites. Its effect is to check height growth of the 

 dants somewhat and to stimulate development of the finer, lateral 

 eeding roots (Pis. XI to XV). In the vast majority of cases such 

 tock is more suitable for planting under unfavorable conditions than 

 eedlings. The conditions on much of the area to be planted on the 

 National Forests are more or less inhospitable; the area is so large 

 hat rapid planting is desirable both to cover the ground and to 

 educe costs; and to conduct the planting operations it is often im- 

 iossible to secure other than unskilled, careless, and indifferent labor, 

 diich means that much of the stock will be poorly planted. These 

 actors make imperative the production of stock best suited to with- 

 tand them. Since transplanting achieves this result, its general 

 dvisability becomes apparent. 



As the greatest single expense of nursery operation, howeA T er, comes 

 a transplating, this operation may be inadvisable in regions such 

 s northern Idaho, where experience indicates that success may be 

 chieved with seedling stock. Comparative tests of the two classes 

 f stock for each species and region are necessary to determine the 

 nal practice in this regard. 



SEASON. 



In transplanting, the roots of seedlings lose their contact with the 

 oil of the seed beds and do not function again until they become 

 stablished in the soil of the transplant beds. During the growing 



