NURSERY PRACTICE ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 47 



heeling in of Douglas fir seedlings for spring transplanting tit the 

 Boulder Nursery and of western white pine at the Sa venae Nursery 

 proved very unsatisfactory. At the Boulder Nursery the stock ap- 

 peared fresh and green in the spring, although of a darker color than 

 in the fall. Only a few of the trees had died ; but the needles pulled 

 off very easily, indicating a loss of vitality. After transplanting 

 about 35 per cent of the stock died. That which lived started growth 

 very slowly and at the end of the season had developed in size only 

 about one-half as much as seedlings left in the beds over winter 

 (PI. XVII). An examination of the roots at the end of the growing 

 season revealed the fact that all old laterals had rotted away and 

 that all of those present were newly formed. 



Another method is to cover the seedlings while they are in the seed 

 beds with some such material as straw, hay, or shade frames. If straw 

 or hay is used, the seedlings should be examined frequently to 

 detect any heating. At the Fort Valley Experiment Station shade 

 frames are put over the beds after they become snow covered. In 

 the spring these retard for a short time the melting of the snow 

 and the development of the seedlings. 



It is possible that an effective method would be cold storage at 

 a temperature just above the freezing point. In Norway, cold- 

 storage houses have been used very successfully for holding plants 

 over in the spring. In the nursery at Softland, on the west coast 

 of Norway, it is stated that Norway spruce can safely be kept in cold 

 storage for 2 months and Scotch pine for 1 month. The plants 

 must not be put into the ice house when wet, however, on account 

 of the danger of molding. No covering whatever is placed over the 

 roots of plants stored in this way. The best plants are secured by 

 having the cellar below the level of the ground. J. Hein's Sons, 

 of Halstenbek, Germany, have their cold-storage house so far below 

 the surface that it is unnecessary to use any ice whatever. 



It is much better if none of these methods are necessary. 

 Handling of the plants and exposure of the roots should be avoided 

 as much as possible, for extra handling will manifest itself in 

 greater losses in the transplant beds and will increase costs. In 

 fact, at the Wind River Nursery it is considered better not to 

 remove the seedlings from the beds even if they can not be trans- 

 planted until 10 days or two weeks after growth has started. The 

 best results are obtained when the seedlings are transplanted directly 

 from the seed beds. 



PREPARATION OF TRANSPLANT BEDS. 



Transplant beds should be given practical^ the same thorough 

 preparation as seed beds, except that hand spading is unnecessary. 

 The area should be plowed as deeply as possible, because this 



