NURSERY PRACTICE ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 55 



ers, and 2 threaders) is usually employed; with the second board a 

 crew of 2 men perform the operation. 



The " Mast board "is described in Volume X, No. 1, of the Forestry 

 Quarterly, as follows: 



The planting board consists of a 5-inch board 6 feet 3 inches long with a 

 handle attached in the middle and extending in the same plane as the surface 

 of the board. On the lower edge a piece 1$ inches wide is nailed flush with 

 the back of the first board and its front edge beveled to about one-half inch 

 in thickness. Into this edge 50 notches are sawed 1$ inches apart (when the 

 trees are to be spaced 11 inches apart in the transplant beds), one notch 

 falling three-fourth of an inch from either end of the board. These notches 

 are slightly wider at the bottom than double the saw-kerf, or about one-eighth 

 of an inch, and should be made smooth with emery cloth or a sharp knife and 

 rounded at the outer edge to admit of threading the trees into them easily. 

 Before sawing the notches the parts between them should be strengthened by 

 driving one or two l^-inch brads through them. The inner parts of the notches 

 are flush with the face of the vertical board, so that when the trees are 

 threaded into the notches they lie flat against the face of this 5-inch board. 

 A slat placed over them and fastened by two buttons holds the seedlings in 

 place while the board is being carried from the threading table to the trench. 

 A loop or binding of tin over one end of the board forms a pocket into which 

 the end of the slat is placed before being buttoned down ; this helps to hold it 

 and prevents it from slipping past the end of the board when placed on the 

 trees. The slat fits loosely enough so that it does not crush the stems of the 

 seedlings when it is buttoned down. The buttons are made with a slight bevel, 

 so that when turned only partially over the slat they do not hold it so closely 

 as when turned at right angles to it ; this allows for handling both large and 

 small stemmed seedlings with the same degree of efficiency. 



At the Bessey Nursery the slat which holds the seedlings in place 

 is now fastened to the transplant board by means of leather hinges. 

 With this scheme the binding of tin over one end is unnecessary. 



The " Michigan " planting board consists of a 6-inch board, 7 feet 

 long and 1 inch or more in thickness, in which a row of one-fourth- 

 inch holes are bored one-half inch from the edge at the interval of 

 spacing desired in the transplant beds. A narrow, wedge-shaped slot 

 is then cut from the edge into the hole and all rough edges and 

 corners smoothed off. The point of the wedge is upward, so that any 

 dirt that gets in the holes or slots may fall through without clogging 

 and pulling out the seedlings when the board is removed. Before the 

 slots are cut the edges of the board between them are reenforced with 

 lath nails. 



Both of these boards are efficient, but each has some advantage over 

 the other. The " Michigan board " has been used most extensively 

 at the Wind River Nursery and has been constructed there at a 

 cost of 37 cents. The " Mast board " is more complex, but it also is 

 quite easy of construction and has been made for 56 cents at the 

 Bessey Nursery. The " Mast board " can be used with any sort of 



